Parliament in session.
A busy schedule awaits Members of Parliament when they resume sittings as the various far-reaching changes being made by President William Ruto following the recent anti-government protests will require their input.
Ranging from the rejected Finance Bill 2024/25, new budget cuts proposals, vetting of new Cabinet secretaries after the sacking of 21, a President Ruto-backed Bill regulating harambees, vetting of the new inspector general of police following the resignation of Japhet Koome, and the remaining eight President Ruto, Raila Odinga talks team Bill, the focus will shift to the August House to actualise the required changes in government. The lawmakers are currently on recess and will resume on July 23 as the wind of reforms is sweeping across the country. The public will be keenly watching how they will handle the critical issues that will be placed at their doorstep.
The National Assembly Finance and National Planning Committee which is currently handling the rejected Finance Bill is expected to present their report when the House returns from a short recess.
The House will then have 21 days from that date to review and consider the report. If parliament agrees with the President, this will mean that the government will proceed with the revenue-raising measures for the 2023/24 financial year.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula banned all parliamentary committees from holding meetings in fancy hotels as the austerity recently announced by the government starts to bite.
In a communication dated July 12, Mr Wetang’ula told the committees that starting Monday they will hold their meetings within the precincts of parliament.
“Ensure that in line with the current austerity measures and the expenditure reductions, the attendant sittings of committees are held within the precincts of parliament,” Mr Wetang’ula said.
Young protesters
President Ruto bowed to pressure from mainly young protesters and the concerns of Kenyans and asked the National Assembly to withdraw the Bill in its entirety.
The President refused to assent to the Bill and sent it back to the House with a memorandum calling for the deletion of all its clauses. Once the entire clauses of the Bill are deleted, the Bill can only be re-introduced after six months.
It will require an MP seeking to retain a clause in the rejected Bill or overturn the President’s memorandum to raise 233 MPs or a two-thirds majority.
National Treasury has already informed accounting officers about the new reality in the midst of the rejection of the Bill and directed ministries and government departments to cancel all new projects for this financial year as the government re-organises its budget following the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024
President Ruto has already announced far-reaching proposals and recommendations as the government puts its house in order to raise money to plug in the budget deficits.
Dr Ruto said the government would present a proposal to the National Assembly to approve the expenditure cuts
The government was banking on the Bill to raise Sh347 billion in the financial year 2024/25 financial year to plug the Sh3.92 trillion budget
The lawmakers will also be called to legislate on a Public Fundraising Appeals Bill that will among other things bar them from participating in harambees.
The House will also be keen to fast-track the eight remaining Bills that emanated from the Nadco team that are yet to be considered including the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Elections Offenses (Amendment), Bill, 2023 and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
