• Members of the Azimio, have been against the Finance Bill, saying that the president’s actions would push the cost of living even higher.

President William Ruto has urged people to stop complaining about the cost of living yet they don’t have any clue why it has gone up.

Speaking on Sunday June 25, 2023, during a thanksgiving service in Kajiado County, the president said that most of those who complain do not have the solutions to bring down the cost of living.

“Some of you are complaining that the cost of living has gone up but you do not understand why it has gone up. You also don’t provide the solutions to bring it down,” said Ruto.

President Ruto has since stated that the cost of living and other difficulties that Kenyans face cannot be solved fast, that "no miracles" exist, and that this has been done "systematically."

During the Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2023, the president admitted that the need to bring the cost of living down has been giving him sleepless nights. ““The cost of living is keeping all leaders, including myself, awake and this is precisely as it should be,” he said.

In March this year, opposition leader led by Raila Odinga held protests to defy the high cost of living, blaming Ruto’s administration for the rising cost of living.

Moreover, Members of the Azimio, have been against the Finance Bill, saying that the president’s actions would push the cost of living even higher.

The Housing Levy, in the Finance Bill, would require one to pay 1.5% tax in order to provide affordable housing to citizens. According to Kenyans, the tax would reduce the take home pay, thereby straining their already tight budgets.

According to the government, the aim of the Finance Bill is to boost tax revenue and improve tax collection through tax reforms.