Tax authorities engaging in political maneuvering
Headline: United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Form Joint Committee to Address National Issues
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have formed a joint committee to oversee the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on March 7, 2025. The MoU, which focuses on a 10-point agenda aimed at fostering national cohesion and addressing key governance and economic challenges, includes youth empowerment, corruption, devolution, constitutionalism, and the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report [1][2][3][5].
The five-member committee, chaired by former Nominated Senator Agnes Zani, includes Fatuma Ibrahim, Kevin Kiarie, Gabriel Oguda, and Javas Bigambo [2][3][4][5]. A joint secretariat, co-led by Executive Secretaries from both UDA and ODM, supports this committee, and the operations and activities of the team are fully funded by the two parties [2][3][5].
The committee's responsibilities include conducting inclusive consultations with the public, government departments, civil society, religious groups, and the private sector. They will submit progress reports to President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga every two months and brief the joint UDA-ODM Parliamentary Group quarterly [2][3]. The committee is set to hold its first sitting on August 18, 2025, with a final status report on the implementation of the MoU and NADCO agenda expected by March 7, 2026 [2][3][4].
Meanwhile, other trending topics include a debate about the appropriate amount of water one should drink, concerns about the taxation burden, and discussions on weaponised taxes [1][6][7]. Additionally, there is a discussion about why we should think twice before having children, the lasting impact of father-son bonding, and the ongoing audit of e-Citizen, which revealed a Sh9.4b hole and showed millions were paid in illegal charges [1][8][9].
In politics, Raila Odinga has suddenly opposed the NG-CDF after 20 years of silence, and MPs have threatened to impeach Mbadi and a PS for contempt [1][10]. Furthermore, Singer Jovial has welcomed his second baby, and Ghana's Defense and Environment ministers died in a helicopter crash [1][11].
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References:
- Nation
- The Star
- Daily Nation
- The Standard
- The Hustler
- The Conversation
- Kenya News Agency
- The New York Times
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Al Jazeera
- The Standard WhatsApp Channel
The joint committee formed by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will oversee policy-and-legislation related to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), particularly concerning youth empowerment, corruption, devolution, constitutionalism, National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report implementation, and other national issues. Meanwhile, in general-news, there are debates about appropriate water consumption, concerns about taxation burden, discussions on weaponized taxes, and ongoing audit of e-Citizen.
