The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party yesterday reached out to Kenya Kwanza Alliance MPs, appealing to them to vote against the Finance Bill, 2023.
“Our members of Parliament are mobilised, whipped and aligned. They will reject this anti-people Bill,” the outfit that is led by Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga said in a statement.
“We now appeal to you, the Kenya Kwanza MPs. We know that, in your heart of hearts, you know this budget is wrong. We urge you to join your Azimio counterparts and stand with the people,” the statement that was read by Azimio Executive Council Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said.
Addressing journalists at the SKM Command Centre in Nairobi, the leaders urged ordinary Kenyans to resist.
“In the event they ram this [down] your throats, don’t give up; don’t surrender. Join us in the next course of action that we will communicate. We shall emerge stronger. We shall overcome,” the party said.
Mr Odinga, who was flanked by fellow Azimio luminaries —Narc-Kenya’s Martha Karua , Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka , Mr Eugene Wamalwa of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya, Jubilee Party’s Jeremiah Kioni, Usawa Party’s Mwangi Wa Iria, Roots Party’s George Wajackoyah among other leaders — said their position against the Bill was reaffirmed during a meeting between the Azimio Summit and the technical team regarding the budget estimates.
“After going through the document, our position remains that [it] remains flawed beyond redemption ... no amount of amendments can redeem this Bill,” Mr Oparanya said of the budget proposal that “only prolongs and worsens the suffering of the people”.
The coalition’s leaders cautioned that the Bill proposes to devolve less funds to counties and instead ask for more money for the national government for otherwise devolved functions.
They said the country will only function better when the middle class is strengthened yet the budget proposal will hurt millions of Kenyans.
The leaders said there is a need to empower the private sector and enable it to be the driver of economic growth but the Bill does not provide avenues to boost the sector due to high tax proposals.
Ms Karua said Azimio was passionate about extending a helping hand, particularly to single mothers and the youth, warning that the Bill only takes away from these vulnerable groups.
“We are passionate about access to quality education and ensuring no single child is left behind. This Bill will diminish those opportunities,” she said.
The coalition also accused President William Ruto ’s government of dividing, stigmatising and threatening a section of Kenyans especially those from Mt Kenya, “to isolate Central so that the region does not engage fully in debating this bill.”
“They are [categorising] our youth [as] Mungiki, drunkards and drug addicts so as to stop them from participating in any opposition to this budget.”
