Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential flagbearer, Raila Odinga has condemned the shut down of Keroche Breweries Limited by the Kenya Revenue Authority over tax arrears.
Speaking on Friday at Thika, Odinga said the government should stop using punitive measures which will cripple industries in the country.
“It is not right to become punitive in terms of taxes”, Odinga said.
The ODM Chief further called upon the government to regulate taxes and grant them laws easy for business people to comply with.
“If taxes are too high, there is a tendency to evade them, but if they are low and manageable, people will pay” he noted.
Odinga urged KRA to give Keroche Breweries time to pay the taxes, adding that it is a major source of employment for many Kenyans.
“That is why am telling them, let Keroche go don’t kill Keroche. If she cannot pay today, let her pay tomorrow. Spread out the payment. She is a Kenyan… Where can she run away to?”
The presidential hopeful said his government will come up with good tax laws which will protect the private business sector and investors, and help them be compliant.
The company was shut down on May 15, 2022, after defaulting on an earlier agreed plan to repay tax arrears totaling Ksh.30 million.
Keroche Breweries Limited CEO Tabitha Karanja, on Tuesday, while addressing the media, maintained that the move to shut down the company was politically motivated.