As the public hearings on the Finance Bill 2025 kick off in the counties, members of parliament have moved to dismiss any fears that the government would bulldoze its way and pass all the proposals without considering the citizens’ input.

Speaking on Saturday, May 31, 2025, the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning assured Kenyans that their contributions will directly influence the Bill’s final proposals.

Chairing the session on behalf of Molo MP Kimani Kuria, Benjamin Langat, the committee’s vice chair, reiterated the significance of public participation in the legislative process, pledging that all views would be integrated into the final report presented to the House.

“This is not an exercise in futility. It’s a very important exercise. This Finance Bill is a proposal to the National Assembly and it has to undergo the necessary legislative process, including public participation, to become law,” Langat explained during the exercise, which marked the commencement of hearings in Nairobi County.

Lessons from 2024

In 2024, the Finance Bill sparked uproar, which later triggered protests in different parts of the country.

To avoid the repeat of what happened, Langat urged the public to consider the current Bill not in isolation, but in conjunction with the proposed budget estimates.

“I want to implore upon the public to desist from looking at the Finance Bill in isolation. When you tell us to employ JSS teachers, or even more nurses, the money to cater for that must come from somewhere. This Bill is the instrument we use to raise such funds,” he stated.

Echoing these sentiments, Kesses MP, Julius Rutto, highlighted that the public participation exercise aims to enrich legislation. He noted that the country missed an opportunity to enact progressive tax laws when the Finance Bill, 2024, failed to pass.

Rutto advocated for a balanced approach when examining the proposed law, which seeks to reform the taxation framework and address revenue shortfalls.

“Last year, we collated various views on the Finance Bill and when we retreated to write our report, we ensured that all the proposals that did not sit well with the people were removed. However, due to misinformation, we ended up losing a good number of recommendations that were contained in our report,” he stated.

Njeri’s arrest

Their sentiments came despite lawyers and other Kenyans raising uproar over the arrest of software developer and activist Rose Njeri after developing an online tool known as Civic Email, designed to facilitate public objections to the Finance Bill 2025.

Her detention has ignited a storm of criticism online, with human rights activists demanding to know why she remains in custody without bail or formal charges.

Lawyer John Khaminwa on Saturday May 31, 2025 said: “I spoke with the officer in charge at Pangani Police Station to request bail for Rose, but he said his hands are tied.”