The National Assembly of Kenya has dismissed as false and misleading reports circulating online claiming that the Finance Bill 2026 contains provisions requiring Kenyans to pay annual land rent on freehold land.
In a clarification issued in the wee hours of Saturday, May 24, 2026, through the official feed of the Committees of the National Assembly of Kenya, the Parliament said the claims being shared on social media were inaccurate and intended to mislead members of the public.
Parliament denies land tax claims
According to the statement, the Finance Bill 2026 contains no clauses related to land ownership, land rent, or conversion of freehold land into leasehold tenure.
“The 2026 Finance Bill contains a total of 57 clauses, and none is on the subject of land,” the statement read.
Parliament further clarified that the Bill contains no provisions to introduce annual land rent payments for owners of freehold land.
“This is purely false, incorrect, and untrue. The Bill has no provisions on land. The Bill has no provisions on land rent,” the statement added.
No new land law passed
The National Assembly also dismissed claims that President William Ruto had recently signed a law introducing annual land rent requirements for freehold landowners.
According to Parliament, no such Bill has been debated, passed, or signed into law during the current parliamentary term.
“There is no such Bill in Parliament, and no Act has been passed by Parliament or signed into law by the President in the current Parliament relating to land rent on freehold land,” the clarification stated.
Public urged to ignore misinformation
Parliament urged Kenyans to disregard the viral claims and rely on official communication channels for accurate information regarding the Finance Bill 2026 and other legislative matters.
“The National Assembly urges the public to disregard the false information circulating online which is intended to mislead Kenyans,” the statement concluded.
The clarification comes amid heightened public interest and debate surrounding the Finance Bill 2026, with Kenyans closely scrutinising proposed fiscal measures and taxation policies ahead of parliamentary consideration.
Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has issued a strong call for Kenyans to reject the Finance Bill 2026 in its current form, warning that it contains hidden provisions that will impose burdensome leases, particularly affecting residents of the Mt Kenya region.
Speaking on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at ACK St Stephen’s Cathedral in Kenol, Murang’a County, Kalonzo urged citizens to scrutinise the bill closely during public participation, arguing it would quietly introduce financial mechanisms detrimental to ordinary households and small-scale landowners.
“Reject Finance Bill 2026/27 as it is, as it is going to quietly introduce leases which will be really hard for people from the Mt Kenya region,” he said.
He further told the congregation that the bill, currently undergoing public participation in Parliament, fails to address the economic hardships faced by Kenyans and instead piles more pressure on an already strained population.