Kimani Ichung’wah clarifies on what happens after budget reading
By Lutta Njomo, June 13, 2024
Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah has debunked reports that Members of Parliament will vote for the Finance Bill 2024 after budget reading by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njunguna Ndung’u.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, June 13, 2024, Ichung’wah clarified that the Treasury CS was in Parliament only to present the budget estimates.
According to the Kikuyu Member of Parliament, most lawmakers were pressured by public members to reject the Finance Bill 2024 after their numbers were shared online.
However, Ichung’wah assured the public that the Finance Bill would be presented in parliament will all the views collected for their consideration.
“Members of the public should know that what the CS Treasury is about to read is the revenue-raising measures statement and not the finance bill. There will be no voting today on anything,” Ichung’wah stated.
Kimani Ichung'wah: Members of the public should know that what the CS Treasury is about to read is the revenue-raising measures statement and not the finance bill. There will be no voting today on anything.#Budget2024#K24Siasa pic.twitter.com/IN83DFRy9v
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) June 13, 2024
This is after the hashtags ‘RespectMyHustle,’ and ‘RejectFinanceBill’ created on Thursday, June 13, 2024, went viral. The hashtags were started by influential X user Amerix.
In his statement, he encouraged Kenyans to contact their respective members of parliament and convince them to vote against the bill.
“60 per cent of your income goes to the taxman. Whom are you working for? You are working for the state. You are a slave. Refuse to be a slave. Pick up your phone now, and call your member of Parliament. Tell him to reject The Finance Bill. Add here their numbers,” Amerix wrote.
Kenyans jumped on the online trend with several MPs responding to their concerns. Mumias East MP Peter Salasya noted that he had received over 5,000 messages while North Mungirango MP Silvanus Osoro lamented that he was targeted with vulgar messages.
Nonetheless, the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula also assured the public that there will be no voting on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
Wetang’ula explained on the floor of the House that many MPs had approached him inquiring about the said voting on Finance Bill 2024. He however assured them that they consider the Bill with all the feedback given.
“The house is not considering or voting on anything related to the finance bill today, the bill is still undergoing public participation and anything concerning the bill shall be addressed hopefully next week,” Wetang’ula insisted.
The Finance Bill 2024 is set to be presented in Parliament on June 18, 2024. The Bill has so far received rejection from a number of stakeholders due to the punitive tax laws.
The MPs will have the final say in how the Bill will be executed to help the country raise revenue to fund the budget.
Speaker National Assembly Moses Wetangula: The house is not considering or voting on anything related to the finance bill today, the bill is still undergoing public participation, and anything concerning the bill shall be addressed hopefully next week.#Budget2024#K24Siasa pic.twitter.com/pLHyBIzlFN
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) June 13, 2024
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