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Suna East MP Junet Mohammed has said opposition members of parliament will not walk out of the August House during the debate on the Finance Bill 2024 on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

Speaking at the Parliament buildings on Thursday, June 13, 2024, to a local TV station, Junet, who is the Minority whip, remarked that the Finance Bill 2024 was crucial and that no legislator allied to the opposition would be allowed to stage a walkout.

“There will be no walkout during the Finance Bill 2024 on Tuesday and if anybody absents themselves, there will be dire consequences,” Junet said.

In February 2024, the Affordable Housing Bill sailed through parliament after members of parliament allied to the opposition walked out led by the minority whip Junet Mohammed.

Mohammed at the time lamented that the bill had been predetermined to favour the Executive and that efforts to amend certain clauses had been met by strong opposition.

Junet’s efforts

During the walkout, however, several opposition MPs failed to heed Junet’s call including Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo, Nominated MP John Mbadi, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna, Gertrude Mbeyu (Kilifi Woman Rep) and Gem’s Elisha Odhiambo.

“Azimio filed several amendments, some on Tuesday and some this morning. Unfortunately, it looks like there are some instructions from Kenya Kwanza regime that this bill be passed without amendment,” Junet said while addressing the press outside Parliament.

“So we decided to walk out of the chamber because we don’t want to participate in a rubber-stamping exercise or an illegitimate.”

On taking action against opposition members who voted with the government side, Junet said the majority were suspectedly intimidated.

“I had a meeting with our MPs who voted for the bill in the second reading on Tuesday. I wanted to de-whip them but they cried and said how they were intimidated and coerced to support the Bill. They were warned that if they do not pass the bill, the ongoing projects in their constituencies will be stopped, ” the minority whip said.

The Finance Bill 2024 is seen as one of the controversial proposals set to be tabled in Parliament on June 18, 2024, with an ongoing public debate on some of the tax proposals that will raise the cost of living.

Some of the levies contained in the proposed bill are eco levy and motor vehicle tax among other tax measures that the government seeks to use to raise revenue to support the Ksh4 trillion budget of the financial year 2024/2025.

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