This video on TikTok claiming to show Kenyan members of parliament eating in the bush is false. 

The video was posted by a Nigerian TikTok user on July 6, 2024 and shows individuals  in suits eating in an open area surrounded by plantation. Text on the video reads:  “Last minute in Kenya! The parliamentarians take refuge in the bush for dinner🤣🤣”  while another caption at the bottom of the clip reads: “Kenyan members of the Parliament ran inside bush  for safety.

The video was also shared on Facebook and X(formerly Twitter).

The video was shared amidst anti-Finance Bill protests during which demonstrators stormed Parliament on June 25, 2024. Members of parliament, who were in session to vote on the contentious Bill, had to flee for safety as protestors breached the building. Chaos ensued as part of the structure was set on fire, and several protestors were shot outside Parliament.

However, it does not show Kenyan MPs eating in the bush in fear of protestors. 

To determine the authenticity of the footage, WOKN conducted a reverse search image through keyframes using InVid-WeVerify and found that the video was posted on June 1, 2024 by James Mbowe, a Tanzanian activist. The clip was captured during the burial of Francis Koka, father to Kibaha Mjini MP, Silvestry Koka, which Tanzanian legislators attended. The post was also shared on his Instagram account.

The post accompanied by a video of the legislators eating in a plantation translates to: ”Yesterday we participated in the Last Service of Elder Francis Koka (104), Father of Mr. Koka, Member of Parliament for Kibaha in the city.This ceremony was held in Mkolowonyi Marangu Village. Mzee Francis has finished his journey here on Earth at the age of 104. We are truly grateful to God for the gift of a long life to Mzee Francis. Who even in his old age was still sane. May God rest the soul of his servant in the right place Amen.”

WOKN investigated the video allegedly showing Kenyan members of Parliament hiding in a bush to escape Anti-Finance Bill protestors and found it to be false. 

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Trizah Mmwanda and edited by Woman Kenya Project lead Shadrack Agamira.

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

Woman Kenya Network is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society.Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

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A website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline and shared on Facebook, purporting to run a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 Finance Bill, is a HOAX.

The post reads, “*SIGN PETITION TO CANCEL THE FINANCE BILL KENYA*_ Save Our Sociey By Signing Petition and get justice for * Rex* _ *SIGN PETITION*”

PesaCheck intentionally filled in random details, and they were accepted. However, to submit the signature, the next step asks the applicant to share the link on WhatsApp — a common feature of online scams.

This section includes the logo of change.org, a website that allows users to create and sign petitions to advance various social causes globally.

A WHOIS domain search shows that the website was registered on 27 May 2024 in Iceland (IS).

A search on the Change.org website using the keywords “finance bill Kenya” established that there is a petition titled “CANCEL THE FINANCE BILL Kenya, 2024.”

The petition started on 15 June 2024 by a ‘Kenyan activist’ has garnered 111,173 signatures.

Kenya’s proposed Finance Bill 2024, creates tax hikes and has attracted anti-tax protests countrywide, with demonstrators calling on the Bill to be scrapped. The government on 18 June 2024 said the Bill will be amended to remove the proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, drop taxes on transportation of sugar, financial services, foreign exchange transactions and the 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax.

Amid the 20 June 2024 protests, the National Assembly voted to pass the bill to its second reading by a vote of 204 to 115. The amendments to the bill will be considered in the House on 25 June 2024.

PesaCheck has looked into a website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline and shared on Facebook, purporting to run a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 finance bill, and finds it to be a HOAX.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post HOAX: This website running a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 Finance Bill is a sham appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

A post shared on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to show a Kenyan protester hitting a teargas canister using a tennis racket during the 18 June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations is FALSE.

The attached image is of a person in a black hoodie, hat, shades, gas mask, dark green trousers, and blue shoes, holding a tennis racket, poised to hit a teargas canister mid-air.

The image, shared on 18 June 2024, is accompanied by the text, “Kenyan Gen Z Captain returning a teargas canister back to the sender! When it rains, it pours. #RejectFinanceBill2024”.

But was the image captured during Kenya’s anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations on 18 June 2024?

A Google reverse search shows that the photo was captured in Nantes, France, during protests against the government’s proposed labour law reforms on 2 June 2016. The photo is credited to Stephane Mahe from Reuters.

The photo was also published here and here.

A section of Kenyans, described by the media as young people, protested against the 2024 Finance Bill in Nairobi on 18 June 2024. The demonstrations continued on 19 and 20 June, with protesters calling the bill “punitive.” Anti-riot police dispersed crowds with teargas and water cannons. The protests were marked with casualties, injuries, and arrests.

PesaCheck has looked into a post shared on X claiming to show a photo of a Kenyan protester hitting a teargas canister using a tennis racket during the 18 June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations and found it to be FALSE.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post FALSE: This image of a protester hitting a teargas canister using a tennis racket was not captured in Kenya appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

Taxation of Digital Marketplace Operators

Women-owned businesses operating digital marketplaces or platforms will face new tax obligations. Non-resident operators will be taxed at 20%, while residents will face a 5% tax rate. This could increase operational costs for digital entrepreneurs, impacting profit margins.

VAT Changes

The bill removes VAT exemptions on financial services like credit card issuance and foreign exchange transactions. This may lead to increased costs for financial service providers, affecting businesses owned by women in the fintech and banking sectors.

Excise Duty Amendments

Introduction of excise duty on digital services provided by non-residents will affect online service providers, including those owned by women. Services such as money transfers and digital lending will now attract a 20% excise duty, potentially increasing service costs.

Income Tax Adjustments

The bill introduces withholding taxes on goods supplied to public entities and minimum top-up taxes for multinational group members. These changes could increase compliance burdens and administrative costs for affected businesses, including those led by women.

Deductions and Exemptions

While contributions to certain medical funds and affordable housing levies become deductible expenses, exemptions on insurance premiums are limited. This mixed bag of deductions and exemptions may require careful planning by women-owned businesses to optimize tax positions.

Operational Adjustments

Changes in tax procedures, such as extended timelines for KRA decisions and revised methods for computing statutory timelines, will require businesses to adjust their operational strategies. Compliance with integration requirements for real-time tax submissions could add to administrative overheads.

Sector-Specific Impacts

VAT changes in sectors such as tourism and manufacturing, including scrapped exemptions and increased VAT applicability, may affect businesses owned by women differently depending on their industry focus and operational scale.

The Finance Bill 2024 introduces sweeping changes that will affect businesses owned by women across Kenya. While some measures like deductible expenses for medical funds could be beneficial, increased taxes on digital services and reduced VAT exemptions pose challenges. Women entrepreneurs, particularly in digital and financial sectors, need to prepare for higher compliance costs and potential adjustments in pricing strategies to navigate these regulatory changes effectively.

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