Treasury opens Finance Bill 2027 proposals with 31 August deadline
Key points
- Treasury CS John Mbadi opened public participation for Finance Bill, 2027, with proposals due by 31 August 2026.
- Bill drafting starts August 2026 and is targeted for National Assembly submission by January 2027 so a Finance Act can pass before Parliament breaks for the General Election.
- Call covers tax law and administration changes plus EAC Customs measures (CET, Duty Remission, stays of application) for FY 2027/28 regional budget work.
- Submissions must cite specific provisions, evidence and fiscal realism under constrained debt and revenue room, aligned with the Bottom-Up agenda.
Tax lobbyists, county finance teams and civil society now share one hard calendar date: 31 August 2026. That is when National Treasury wants written proposals for the Finance Bill, 2027, Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said in a public notice reported by Eastleigh Voice.
Mbadi said preparation begins in August 2026 and should finish for tabling in the National Assembly by January 2027. The early run is deliberate: 2027 is an election year, and government wants the fiscal package enacted before Parliament breaks for the General Election so operations do not stall. Invitees include the public, national and county governments, NGOs, professional bodies, private sector, religious groups and other stakeholders.
What to file — and the fiscal realism test
Proposals should target specific amendments to tax laws or administration measures for the Bill, and may also cover East African Community Customs instruments for the FY 2027/28 EAC Budget process — Common External Tariff lines, Duty Remission Scheme changes, stays of application and related policy tools. Treasury asked stakeholders to align with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda’s value-chain growth story while facing “increased expenditure needs, constrained debt carrying capacity and limitations in raising additional revenue.” Each submission must name the law or provision, explain the problem, give reasons with evidence or analysis, and, where relevant, the CET line or customs instrument.
Mbadi rooted the invitation in Article 201(a) (openness and public participation in public finance), Article 232(1)(d) (public involvement in policy-making), and Section 35(2) of the Public Finance Management Act, also nodding to socio-economic rights and devolution objectives in Articles 43 and 174. Hard copies go to Treasury; soft copies to the address in the notice. Business desk: Business. Verified timeline, legal citations and proposal rules from Eastleigh Voice; individual tax rate ideas were not pre-filled by Treasury in the call.
For boards and county assemblies, August is the window to put evidence on record before election-year politics freezes technical tax debate. Late wish-lists after 31 August will compete with a compressed path to a January Bill.
Based on Eastleigh Voice reporting of the National Treasury notice (Lucy Mumbi, 11 August 2026). Deadlines and submission channels follow the official notice text.
