The Bill is sponsored by Godfrey Osotsi a Nominated MP (ANC) who last year was about to be expelled from his party.

So an entire industry is about to get cut in the feet by over regulation and over taxation.

All this for the benefit of a new bureaucracy whose work entails nothing more than collecting rents from hard working Kenyans who already pay tax.

According to this bill no one has the right to collect any fees unless they are a licensed practitioner.

A university student will be unable to lawfully collect their fees on building a website because they are not a licensed ICT Practictioner.

In stead of coming up with ideas to create new wealth there's a cabal that is angling on how they will be able to leech off a nascent industry and in the process destroy it in its infancy.

Then there's the fine of 500k or a jail term of two years for practicing without a license. So if a university student at JKUAT builds a website as a side hustle without a license he/she will be committing an offense that will land him/her in jail if they don't have that 500k.

Unbelievable.

Tech companies and any developers in Kenya need to come out strongly against this bill.

I'm yet to see such a clear abuse of the legislature as this.

There's not much difference between this kind of legislation and Mungiki protection fees.

Industry Regulation.

Industry Taxation.

When Shaina and Kenians turn to the "industry" to carry out basic transactions, expect Ngavament to follow in regulation and taxation.

"Kenyan traders have gone virtual in selling tea and coffee via Chinese e-commerce platforms.

The China-Central & East Africa (Kenya) International Trade Digital Expo (CCPIT) platform will also serve as a virtual marketplace for Kenyan traders to shop for any products from Chinese factories, largely driven by Covid-19 related challenges that discouraged physical travel to the populous and industrious nation."

Source: The Business Daily Link: https://www.businessdail...ital-trade-deal-3216770[/i]

... even the agriculture sector is turning to the "industry"... why not the regulator and the taxman?

How pandemic is pushing agribusinesses to adopt tech

[i]"The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the soft underbelly of agribusinesses in Africa on multiple levels.

Left behind digitally, the majority of agribusiness are now trying to catch up as customers and suppliers move to online sites amid the Covid-19’s restrictions.

With the shifting dynamics, farming businesses are banking on technology to beat Covid-19 woes and thrive going forward."

Source: The Business Daily Link: https://www.businessdail...es-to-adopt-tech-3216764

This is not an issue of taxation but adding red tape to an industry that is fast moving and where even Kenyan developers can work abroad.

The Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank measures how many huddles citizens in various countries have to jump before starting a business.

This ICT Practitioners Bill is adding unnecessary and ill conceived (except for the purpose of rent collection) licenses and costs to the tech industry whereas most countries are even trying to give start ups incentives to thrive by giving funding and the like.

The license fees do not even accrue to KRA but to a new professional body whose work is just to monkey around and collect fees.

The only outcome of this is stifling opportunities for young Kenyans while creating a new rent collector that sucks value out of the ecosystem.