ONE MILLION KENYANS AGAINST MP'S REFUSAL TO PAY TAX

From Michael O. Otieno

Dear Fellow Kenyans,

Last week I filed a petition at the High Court seeking to compel Kenya Revenue Authority to collect taxes from our Members of Parliament and other constitutional office holders in Kenya.

The response from you my friends has been overwhelming, the original email message that I sent to you has reached all the four corners of the earth. Yes that is the power of technology. I have received hundreds of messages, phone calls, sms, email and mail from facebook. There are many friends whom we had lost contact and this struggle has brought us together again. Many of you have congratulated me for the move and many more offered messages of encouragement, advice and support. I am truly touched and I feel buoyed by your support and now I have the energy to go on.

All this was as a result of my plea to you to spread the word on my behalf to all your friends and relatives, you did not disappoint. I also asked those of you who have been touched to come forward and be enjoined in the petition, I have received tones of requests from friends and relatives who want to stand with me against this dictatorship by parliament.

Towards this end, I have developed an online petition form, which you can spread to others who would like to be enjoined with me. We intend to collect one million signatures from Kenyans who wish to show their disgust and revulsion at the impunity by our MPs.

The petition, before Justice Nyamu, wants a constitutional court to declare section 5 read together with section 2 of the National Assembly Remuneration Act Chapter 5 of the Laws of Kenya null and void as they infringe on our fundamental human rights contrary to the Constitution of Kenya. The inter parties hearing has been set for January 26, 2009.


The Petition form is below:


THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA AT NAIROBI
CONSTITUTIONAL & JUDICIAL REVIEW DIVISION

PETITION NO. 756 OF 2008

IN THE MATTER OF SECTION 84(1) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA
IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGED CONTRAVENTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS & FREEDOMS

UNDER SECTION 82(1) (2) (3) (4), 70 (a) and 74 (a) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA

BETWEEN

MICHAEL O. OTIENO .............................................. PETITIONER

AND

KENYA REVENUE AUTHORITY (KRA) ................................. RESPONDENT

I HEREBY REQUEST TO BE ENJOINED IN THE SAID PETITION AND DULY
AUTHORISE MESSERS ROBSON HARRIS & CO. ADVOCATES TO ACT ON MY BEHALF.