Azimio reveals strategy to block passing of Finance Bill 2023
Rarieda Member of Parliament (MP) Otiende Amollo has revealed that Azimio lawmakers plan to disrupt the third reading of the Finance Bill in Parliament, by introducing countless reforms to ensure the session goes late into the night and they affect the voting process.
“Any individual member has the discretion to introduce an amendment at the committee of the whole House stage. Am aware of members from the minority side who proposed many amendments,” Amollo said while speaking to a local media station.
The Rarieda MP revealed that Azimio has other plans besides the game of numbers.
“With those numbers, even if all the members who were absent were to vote against the Bill, the ruling alliance would still have its way on this matter, but I can tell you we have other options,” Amollo revealed.
The Rarieda MP also said that he would join Senator Okiya Omtata in the fight against the passing of the Finance Bill in court.
Otiende Amollo also announced that the Azimio coalition would challenge the content of the Bill in court and the recent proceedings of the second parliamentary reading.
Azimio Bill sabotage
An Azimio official also revealed to a local media house that the coalition plans to create a division in every clause of the Bill, at the Committee of the whole House, where members are required to vote on each clause.
The Azimio official, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that they expect a full House during the third reading. He added that they were ready and had been instructed to ‘create a division on every clause.’
“We also expect a full House after the bashing of those members who skipped the last vote, meaning it would take more time to take a vote on a single clause,” the Azimio official revealed.
Misusing revenue
During the second reading of the Finance Bill in Parliament, Otiende Amollo accused the government of misusing revenue by increasing the wage bill, terming certain moves by the government such as the appointment of the 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs) uncalled for.
“You do not need over 50 CASs. All these are taking public money. Mr Speaker, there was a report that suggested, that we do not need the over 530 Ministries and Departments of government that we have. The Parastatals, most of them are duplicating and it was suggested that we should reduce them to barely five.”
The Rarieda MP warned the government that if they failed to heed Azimio’s advice to drop the bill, they would not escape the wrath of the people whom he mentioned hold all the power.
“You must listen to us because even if you use the majority to pass it, there’s still the court and even if you deal with the court, there is still the people of Kenya, who are sovereign.”
“Under section 6, the role of housing is under the county not the national government. I invite you to look at clause 8D which states that the National Government is only to do with the housing policy. So when you are introducing national government and the housing tax, you are actually amending the constitution through the backdoor,” Amollo said.
In his speech, Rarieda MP stated that the housing levy bill should be taken to the Senate for a debate since it is a role of the county governments and that the Senate must be involved in every business regarding the county governments.
“This bill should go to the Senate because the Senate must have a role in anything that affects the county, Amollo concluded.