MPs to convene Thursday to debate Finance Bill 2024

The National Assembly on Tuesday approved a special session for Thursday at 9:30 am to consider priority business, including the Finance Bill, 2024.

The move aims to provide MPs with adequate time to debate the contentious Finance Bill, 2024. The procedural motion, moved by Leader of the Majority at the National Assembly Kimani Ichung'wah, schedules an additional session on Thursday morning alongside the usual afternoon session at 2:30 pm.

"I beg to move that pursuant to the provisions of Standing Orders, this House resolves to hold a morning sitting on Thursday, June 20, 2024, commencing at 9:30 am for the purpose of considering priority business, Honourable Speaker," he said.

"This, Mr. Speaker, will allow members an opportunity to debate the Finance Bill, 2024, considering that many members are interested in contributing to the debate," Ichung'wah added.

Representing the House Business Committee, the Kenya Kwanza legislator explained that the committee met earlier in the afternoon and decided to bring the resolution through a procedural motion.

The MPs also approved extending Wednesday afternoon sittings until 9:30 pm to allow more contributions to the debate on the Bill. Normally, the House rises at 6:30 pm unless an extension is approved by the majority of the MPs.

The motion was seconded by Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, who said the decision was sound as it would allow MPs more time to contribute to the Bill.

"Obviously, members from across the political divide would want adequate time to be able to contribute to the matter of the Finance Bill at the Second Reading stage, and that's why it was the wisdom of the House Business Committee that we are looking at enough sitting days," he said.

As a result, Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula ruled that MPs will vote on the Bill during the Second Reading on Thursday afternoon.

"The House Business Committee has directed that we will then vote on that Bill on Thursday afternoon," he directed.

The Third Reading of the Bill will take place next week on Tuesday, June 25, allowing MPs an opportunity to make the ultimate decision.

"The Committee of the Whole House on the same Bill will come on Tuesday afternoon. Those of you who want to file amendments should do so after reading the report," Wetang'ula said.

In the morning, President William Ruto convened a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House, Nairobi, ahead of the tabling of the Finance Bill, 2024 report by the National Assembly's Finance and Planning Committee this afternoon.

During a media briefing at the State House, the Budget Committee said it had recommended the deletion of the 2.5 per cent proposed Motor Vehicle Tax, calling it discriminatory and non-progressive.

The Committee also recommended repealing the 16 per cent VAT on bread, arguing that it would make the basic commodity unaffordable for many Kenyans.

"The Committee proposes to zero-rate ordinary bread, unleavened bread, gluten bread, inputs and raw materials supplied to manufacturers of agricultural and pest control products, agricultural pest control products, transportation of sugarcane from farms to milling factories, and the supply of locally assembled and manufactured mobile phones, among others."

The Committee further proposed exempting several products from VAT, including the issuance of credit and debit cards, foreign exchange transactions, sanitary towels and diapers, and services of local film agents.