Latest News Update; Ruto Wins First Round as MPs Clear Finance Bill for Debate
In Summary:
Approval: 204 MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024, while 115 rejected it.
No Abstentions: The vote was by acclamation, not secret ballot.
Next Steps: The Bill proceeds to the Committee of the Whole House.
Final Vote: Scheduled for Tuesday, June 25.
Detailed Report:
President William Ruto secured a significant win as the Finance Bill, 2024, passed its second reading in the National Assembly. Out of 319 MPs present, 204 voted in favor, while 115 opposed the Bill. There were no abstentions, and the voting was done by acclamation rather than a secret ballot.
Debate and Voting Process:
The approval followed a detailed clause-by-clause debate based on the report by the Finance Committee. Speaker Moses Wetang’ula announced that the Bill would now proceed to the Committee of the Whole House, which includes all members of the Assembly. MPs were given until 1 pm Thursday to submit proposed amendments. The Committee will consider these amendments, take a vote on each, and approve clauses with or without changes.
Final Stages:
If approved by the House Committee, the Bill will move to the third reading stage for a final vote, scheduled for Tuesday, June 25. At this stage, no further substantive amendments will be considered.
Speaker Wetang’ula explained the process: “Members, the matter of the Finance Bill is now over, we wait for the Committee of the Whole. Those who have amendments to file, the clerk and his team will process those amendments. The House will sit on Tuesday morning when we will proceed on the same matter.”
A Bill is lost if rejected at either the Second Reading, Committee of the Whole House, or the Third Reading. If this happens, the entire Bill is scrapped, and it can only be reintroduced after six months.
President Ruto’s Advocacy:
Amid mounting public opposition, President Ruto urged MPs to pass the Finance Bill, highlighting its importance for his development agenda. Addressing residents of Garissa, he emphasized that the Bill would enable the government to offer essential services such as funding for intern teachers, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and school feeding programs.
“I am asking these MPs to pass the Finance Bill so that we can secure jobs for intern teachers, fund the HELB and school feeding program among other projects,” Ruto said.
He asserted that the Bill lays a foundation for development: “This country will change, I promise you. We are going to change Kenya because we are determined to make whatever decisions to unlock the country’s full potential.”
Ruto’s call came a day after he met MPs from his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) at State House, urging them to support the Bill. He also assured that any misappropriation of the funds would be dealt with sternly.
Public and Legislative Reaction:
Protests against the Finance Bill were witnessed in various towns across the country on Thursday. In response to public pressure, MPs agreed to drop several contentious proposals from the Bill, including:
16% VAT on bread
VAT on the transportation of sugar
Tax on financial services and foreign exchange transactions
2.5% tax on motor vehicles
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