MP Duncan Mathenge cautions against parliament capture by executive
By Joel Masibo, January 21, 2026Nyeri Town Member of Parliament (MP) Duncan Mathenge has cautioned against the capture of parliament by the executive arm of government, referring to the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
Speaking in a local radio interview on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Mathenge said the parliament must remain independent and responsive in matters that directly impact the lives of citizens.
Mathenge’s sentiments come after the National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichung’wah, has disclosed that the particular Bill, which was rejected by Gen Z protesters, was later split into four separate bills and passed by Parliament.
Parliament capture
”Parliament should not be captured by the executive or any single section of society. It must remain responsive, and this Parliament demonstrated that responsiveness through the 84 amendments made to the Finance Bill 2024. Parliament followed the proper process, notifying Kenyans that the Tax Amendment Act, the Excise Duty Act, and the VAT Act were before Parliament and under debate. Citizens were invited to give their input during the Finance Bill discussions, and many Kenyans expressed their views,” Mathenge said.
The MP further revealed 84 alterations were made to the final version after the original one prompted nationwide protests that led to loss of lives, especially the country’s young citizens who took to the streets in demonstrations.
”If ‘liwe liwalo tutapitisha’ had been applied, the Finance Bill 2024 would have passed without a single clause being deleted or amended. However, in the final version of the Finance Bill 2024, 84 alterations had been made,” Mathenge said.
Finance Bill split
Speaking on the same during the burial of Douglas Kanja’s father on Thursday, October 23, 2025, Ichung’wah explained that dividing the bill allowed the government to revive development projects that had previously stalled.
He said the split bills contained provisions that had initially been removed following public opposition during the protests, noting that their passage has now enabled the government to resume key projects.
Ichung’wah further revealed that many of the beneficial clauses in the original Finance Bill 2024 were lost after the legislation was rejected, which delayed the implementation of several government programmes.
He stated that the restructuring of the bill into four separate parts was necessary to reintroduce essential measures aimed at boosting revenue collection and development.