National

MPs to vote on Finance Bill next week - Ichung'wah

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah addresses the media at the State House in Nairobi on June 18, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Tuesday, June 18, 2024

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah on Tuesday said that the debate will begin on Wednesday and will continue until Thursday.

Members of Parliament will vote on the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 next week.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah on Tuesday said that the debate will begin on Wednesday and will continue until Thursday.

Keep reading

"It is important to mention that there is no debate today. Debate shall start tomorrow ( Wednesday) and continue to Thursday," he said.

"This will allow time for the weekend for possible amendments by members of Parliament," Ichung'wah added.

Speaking at State House, Ichung'wah said the Kenya Kwanza Government had listened to the pleas of Kenyans in the Finance Bill, 2024.

"We have heard a very robust engagement the whole morning from 7 am reviewing the Finance Bill, 2024. The Bill was submitted to Parliament by the Finance and Planning Committee, the committee has since had robust engagements with Kenyans," he added.

The National Assembly's Tuesday's order paper, a statutory document detailing the business of the House shows that MPs will have the whole Wednesday morning and afternoon debating the Bill.

During the debate, technically known as the Second Reading, MPs will air their views and make oral submissions about what they make of the contents of the taxation measures.

It is not until the Bill is moved to the Third Reading that MPs will make legislative proposals to amend sections of the Bill in line with their suggestions.

In the morning, President William Ruto had convened a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House, Nairobi ahead of the tabling of the Finance Bill, 2024 report by the National Assembly's Finance and Planning Committee.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (left), President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi at the Kenya Kwanza PG meeting at State House on June 18, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

The leaders led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua arrived at State House as early as 7 am.

The Eastleigh Voice had established that the meeting, initially planned for June 7, experienced several delays. It was expected to happen on Monday but was again pushed to Tuesday.

These postponements were necessary to accommodate the parliamentary budget committee, giving them sufficient time to complete the budget process and undertake the initial reading.

The budget committee has recommended the deletion of the 2.5 per cent proposed Motor Vehicle Tax saying the tax is discriminatory and non-progressive.

The Committee has recommended repealing the 16 per cent VAT on bread saying that if the tax is imposed it will make the basic commodity less affordable beyond the affordability of many Kenyans.

"The Committee proposes to zero rate ordinary bread, unleavened bread, gluten bread, inputs and raw materials supplied to manufacturers of agricultural and pest control products, agricultural pest control products, transportation of sugarcane from farms to milling factories, supply of locally assembled and manufacture of mobile phones among others."

The Committee further proposed exempting several products from VAT, including the issuing of credit and debit cards, foreign exchange transactions, sanitary towels and diapers and services of local film agents.