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Details have emerged over how the government side applied various tactics to push MPs to pass the controversial Finance Bill last week.

Sources aware of the last-minute rush to cool down the fiery opposition team told People Daily that opposition lawmakers agreed to support some of the clauses following a meeting called and chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula who laid bare the effects of shooting down the bill.

At the meeting, which was attended by the leadership of both sides of the political divide, the MPs were told the threats to shoot down the bill had led to the failure by the Executive to table the Appropriations bill that determines how funds will be shared between the different government departments.

The bill, on normal occasions is supposed to be tabled in the House before the Finance Bill but in this case it was tabled after the Finance Bill was passed.

“The Executive wanted to see whether the MPs would pass the bill or not and that is why they delayed tabling that Appropriations Bill,” said an MP who attended the meeting but did not want to be named.
MPs who attended the meeting said they were informed that failure to pass the bill would lead to major cuts of various vote heads, which affect them directly.
Among the departments that would have suffered include Parliament, which has been allocated Sh41 billion, the National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
 
The slash on Parliament’s allocation, the MPs were told, would have led to reduction in members’ travel allowances, which normally takes a huge chunk of the budget.
But the leadership of the opposition, comprising Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed and nominated MP John Mbadi although agreed to support certain clauses of the bill, but made it clear they would oppose the creation of the Housing Levy and the increment of 16 per cent fuel levy from the current eight per cent.
The purpose of the Affordable Housing Levy is to provide funds for the development of affordable housing and associated social and physical infrastructure as well as the provision of affordable home financing to Kenyans.
The monthly levy payable by the employer and employee will be 1.5 per cent of the employee’s gross monthly salary for the employee and 1.5 per cent of the employee’s monthly gross salary for the employer.
During debate on these two clauses the opposition MPs tried to stop the House from passing the clauses on grounds that Kenyans had rejected them.
The Opposition MPs put up a flurry of points of order, numerous calls for division to delay debate and passage of the clauses.