Siaya Governor James Orengo has praised Members of Parliament (MPs) who voted against the Finance Bill 2026.

Taking to his official X account on Friday, June 19, 2026, Orengo described the lawmakers who rejected the bill as courageous leaders who stood with ordinary Kenyans despite mounting political pressure.

Orengo singled out lawmakers aligned with the Linda Mwananchi movement, thanking them for rejecting the Bill and defending the interests of citizens.

“Thank you to the MPs who said no to the Finance Bill. Linda Mwananchi team, we are proud of you,” Orengo said.

The veteran politician also invoked a famous quote attributed to former U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

“In the words of Andrew Jackson ‘ one man (woman) with courage makes a majority’,” Orengo wrote on X.

Finance Bill 2026

The Finance Bill 2026 was ultimately passed by the National Assembly on Thursday, June 18, 2026, after a division vote in which 122 MPs supported the legislation while 40 voted against it, setting the stage for one of the most politically significant parliamentary contests of the year.

The Bill’s passage followed weeks of intense debate, public participation forums, committee scrutiny, and pressure from both supporters and opponents of the proposed tax measures.

While government allies argued that the legislation was necessary to support revenue collection and fund public programmes, critics maintained that Kenyans were already struggling with a high cost of living and could not absorb additional tax burdens.

Several contentious proposals were dropped before the final vote. However, the legislation still attracted significant opposition from a section of MPs who argued that Parliament should prioritise protecting ordinary citizens from further economic pressure.

The vote also exposed widening political fault lines within ODM and the broader opposition. Some legislators associated with the Linda Mwananchi faction openly opposed the Bill, positioning themselves as defenders of wananchi against what they described as excessive taxation.

It is these MPs that the Siaya governor later praised for their courage after the Bill’s passage, thanking those who voted “No” and declaring that the Linda Mwananchi team had stood with ordinary Kenyans.