EMMANUEL WEKESA
Safina Party leader and 2027 presidential candidate Jimi Wanjigi has announced potential policy shifts aimed at transforming Kenya’s economy and social services. His proposals include abolishing the Social Health Authority (SHA), eliminating Value Added Tax (VAT), and providing free education from primary school through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Key Policy Reforms Proposed by Wanjigi
During a town hall meeting in Mombasa, Wanjigi committed to rejecting what he terms as 'odious' public debt, which he claims was acquired outside legitimate government budgeting processes. He emphasized that such debts should not be paid by Kenyan taxpayers, arguing that they are illegitimate debts incurred without proper oversight.
"Hiyo deni ya kora hatutalipa. Na nyinyi mkiamua ya kwamba hii uchaguzi tunaingia, tunaingia na huo msemo; hatutalipa hiyo deni kwa sababu sio halali, haiku kwa budget yetu, haikuingia Central Bank yetu, liingia mifuko ya wengine," Wanjigi stated.
In healthcare, Wanjigi plans to dismantle the existing SHA framework and introduce a new system that offers treatment to all Kenyans using national identification cards. This move aims to make healthcare more accessible and reduce dependence on insurance schemes like the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
Furthermore, he proposed a radical overhaul of Kenya’s tax regime, advocating for the complete removal of VAT and replacing it with a flat 5 percent sales tax. He believes this change would lower fuel prices and overall living costs, easing the financial burden on ordinary Kenyans.
In education, Wanjigi assured the public that government resources are sufficient to offer free primary through TVET education, with an estimated cost of Ksh. 265 billion, which he asserts should be funded without additional charges to families. His campaign emphasizes reducing living costs and expanding access to essential social services as central to his agenda, positioning himself as an alternative to the current political establishment.
