Poverty Taxes

In Kenya, they are called value-added taxes, “yani VAT”. They change and increase every year And are placed on everything under the sun. The prices increase daily, But they say it would lead to everyone paying their fair share of tax. They are better referred to as poverty taxes, Because they punish the poor to become the poorest, They entrench selfishness among the neighbours and friends, They take away the only saving of the poor in the society, and one wonders why the poor remain the poorest. The tax takes the homes, The mortgages become unaffordable, The rent skyrockets in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa, While the gas prices become unbearable. The cars and bus rides become a luxury, and our lunches are taken from our mouths. The tax man is always on the door, You wonder if you are under some emergency evacuation. Taxman takes every percentage of your hospital bill, Or school fee, or your child’s pocket money, or church tithe offerings, Until there is nothing positive to take away. Worst of it, the bills and penalties are always in your postal mail. The services offered at government offices are poor. The civil servants are rude to the core like vampires. The infrastructure development is wanting, The electricity blackouts in rural areas are frequent, Education facilities not well equipped, Health facilities are rotting from inadequate funding, and any innovation is suspiciously viewed as a threat. The tax man never explains where is the tax, Nor what development activities were completed. The poor’s voice can’t be heard yet everything is taxed. The poor continue to be taxed to poverty, While the tax man feeds the corrupt all the taxes.