Kimani Ichung’wah is pushing the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which keeps flight charges at USD 50 for international and Ksh 600 for domestic but changes how the money is shared.
The funds will go to four agencies, including three that already receive money from the government, raising concerns that travelers are being forced to pay for services that should be covered by public funds.
The bill also creates a Tourism Fund managed by a board of trustees with powers to invest, but details of how the money will be split are left to the Cabinet Secretary.
This lack of clarity leaves room for misuse and poor accountability.
Ichung’wah has a history of sponsoring controversial bills that end up hurting citizens. He previously boasted about sneaking the 2024 Finance Bill through parliament, a law that triggered nationwide protests, higher costs of living, and even deaths.
His remarks that the bill passed quietly without stones being thrown showed insensitivity to the struggles Kenyans went through.
This pattern of celebrating unpopular laws suggests he values political victories over the suffering of ordinary people.The new aviation bill fits the same mold. While supporters claim it will fund tourism and aviation, critics see it as another way of shifting costs onto struggling Kenyans.
Air travel could become more expensive if airlines pass the charges to passengers, making it harder for families and businesses already weighed down by high taxes.
The Tourism Fund especially raises suspicion, with fears it could be turned into a pool for risky investments or a channel for looting, just like other funds in the past.
Ichung’wah has also defended measures in other bills that protected the wealthy while punishing the poor, such as raising taxes on bodaboda and matatu operators while sparing helicopter parts.
This shows where his priorities lie, favoring those with influence while ignoring those who face the hardest economic conditions.
For many Kenyans, this bill is not about improving aviation or tourism but about creating another avenue for misuse of public money.
Passing such a bill without clear rules and accountability will only deepen the mistrust citizens already have in parliament. Ichung’wah’s role highlights a leadership problem where laws are designed to serve elite interests at the expense of ordinary Kenyans.
