Activist group Free Kenya Movement brought its one million signature collection drive to Embu County to push for a referendum to lower the cost of living by removing taxes on basic commodities.

The campaign that was launched in Nairobi last December has been moving around the country to collect signatures from Kenyans to support constitutional amendment to abolish taxes on essential commodities such as fuels and foodstuffs.

Led by Human Rights Defender Bob Njagi, who also serves as the movement’s chair, the team said they aim to achieve change through dialogue rather than protests or demonstrations.

“We have in the past seen young people killed while agitating for change in this country, and that is why we have decided to change tack and address the pressing issues affecting Kenyans through dialogue,” Njagi said.

He added that the escalating cost of living has burdened citizens, while elected leaders remain more focused on political manoeuvres and party loyalties than the needs of the electorate.

“As citizens and taxpayers, we want to invoke the sovereign power enshrined in Articles 1 and 257 of the Constitution to directly enact an amendment through referendum to abolish taxation on basic commodities,” Njagi said.

He pointed out that the collected signatures will compel the government to listen and take action to reduce the cost of living. Activist and movement member Nicholas Oyoo echoed the sentiments, noting that previous appeals to the government on taxation had not been successful. The indifference forced the activists to pursue a referendum, he said.

Once the signature collection is complete, the forms will be submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for verification before the referendum process officially begins.

The movement reiterated that the initiative is citizen-driven, not politically-motivated and aims to reform taxation policies to ease the financial burden on ordinary Kenyans.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Samuel Waititu