Withdrawn Finance Bill tops MPs list as they return from recess

The National Assembly will reconvene tomorrow, Tuesday, July 23, after a brief recess that began on June 26, 2024.

Speaker Moses Wetangula announced that the priority items for discussion will include the withdrawn Finance Bill 2024 and a memorandum sent back by President William Ruto stating why he declined to sign it into law.

President Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill after intense protests, which, for the first time in Kenya’s history, saw demonstrators breach Parliament premises.

The President explained his decision, stating that he had listened to the public's concerns and intended to engage further with Kenyans to address their issues.

While returning the Bill to Parliament, Ruto proposed amendments for consideration.

“As you are aware, the president declined to assent to the Finance Bill, 2024, and sent it back with a memorandum indicating that he had rejected all the clauses of the Bill. That memorandum and rejection will be part of the business of the House,” Wetangula said.

While emphasising the procedure for addressing the memorandum, Wetangula noted that any member who seeks to change it must garner two-thirds of the House through voting, which is about 233 members.

He further dismissed claims that the Bill would automatically become law within 14 days of the memorandum's rejection.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula. (Photo: File/National Assembly)

“This also addresses the issue that the Bill was going to be operational within 14 days of the rejection of the memorandum. That is not true, and we have no provision in law or under the constitution for that. The Bill is in limbo, awaiting the next vote for it in the House,” he said.

The Speaker also highlighted other significant items on the agenda, including the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, which adjusts government spending for the current fiscal year (FY 2024/25).

The Bill, prepared by the Budget and Appropriation Committee, will be debated and considered following departmental committee reviews of Supplementary Estimates 1.

If approved, a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024, will be introduced to amend the recently enacted Appropriation Act.

Another key item is the County Revenue Allocation (Amendment) Bill, designed to align county revenue with current needs. Originating in the Senate, the Bill will be considered by the National Assembly after receiving a Presidential Memorandum.

Additionally, the House will debate a report from the departmental committee on finance and national planning, along with several reports from various audit, appropriations, and general-purpose committees.

These include a report by the Public Petitions Committee, which investigated potential misuse of national government funds, a report by the Auditor-General on the financial statements of specific state corporations, and a report by the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture.

They will also examine the Auditor General's reports on financial statements of several healthcare institutions and regulatory bodies. The debate on the Public Service Internship Bill, 2022, and the Mung Beans Bill, 2022, will also resume.

Several motions have also been lined up, covering topics such as mental health services, the establishment of a science museum, local fertiliser manufacturing, and government-to-government procurement of fertilisers.

Other motions include creating a national policy against disrespectful childbirth practices, reviewing the eligibility age for the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme, formulating a reward scheme for athletes, and addressing discrimination against students of different faiths in educational institutions.