Kenya speaker upholds parliament's approval of 8 pct tax on fuel

The speaker of Kenya's parliament on Thursday upheld its approval by acclamation of a plan by President Uhuru Kenyatta to cut a new value-added tax on fuel to 8 percent from 16 percent.

Lawmakers opposed to the tax on the grounds that it would push up living costs had rejected the first vote and demanded another one, but speaker Justin Muturi overruled them, citing the official records of the first vote taken in the house.