Ruto move throws MPs who voted 'Yes' under the bus

Thursday, June 27, 2024

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The chairperson National Assembly Finance and Planning Committee Francis Kimani Kuria during a Session at Bunge Towers Nairobi on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

By Roselyne Obala

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Even before the dust settles on the public anger over the passage of the Finance Bill, members of the National Assembly who supported the bill are in for another surprise.

And a day after the Finance Bill 2024 was passed into law, President William Ruto's surprise U-turn on the government's position on the bill, bowing to youth pressure, appears to have cut short the MPs' celebrations.

Read: Inside State House night meetings that informed rejection of Finance Bill

The defiant MPs, despite the aggrieved Generation Z (GEN Z) and Millennials branding them traitors and even contemplating recalling them, rode on the President's support for the dismissal and vowed to act similarly if a vote is called at any time.

The tone-deaf MPs confessed their loyalty to the President and weren't afraid to record their approval in Hansard when they voted for the Bill at both the second and third readings.

"I am grateful to all members of the National Assembly who yesterday (Tuesday) voted in favour of the Finance Bill 2024 as amended on the floor of the House to incorporate the views generated through public participation," the President praised as he spoke at State House in Nairobi on the decision to withhold assent to the Bill.

Read: Kenyans invaded Parliament. What it means and why State should be worried

He then went on to point out that the passage of the Bill had led to widespread expressions of dissatisfaction with the Bill as passed, regrettably resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property and the discretion of constitutional institutions.

In ensuring that the wishes of the ruling Kenya Kwanza were met, the leadership of the House led by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah and the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC), Ndindi Nyoro and Finance and Planning Committee, Kimani Kuria, stressed the importance of the passage of the Bill to raise revenue to finance government projects and the enhanced National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) kitty.

Mr Ichung'wah rallied MPs to pass the bill, a position he took at the Kenya Kwanza Joint Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House chaired by the President.

Both Mr Ichung'wah and Mr Kimani took turns explaining to Kenyans why the Bill, which seeks to raise over Sh302 billion in taxes, was crucial and even proposed amendments to the controversial clauses on bread, cooking oil, sanitary towels, nappies and insurance levies.

MPs from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition decided to withdraw all their proposed amendments, calling it a bad Bill, but MPs allied to Ruto were not deterred and went ahead with the same, ignoring the protests of Kenyans.

On Tuesday night, the President praised the MPs who passed the bill and described the invasion of Parliament by angry protesters as treason, but hours later he admitted that they did indeed have a case and that he would engage them.

In quick succession, the latest development is that the MPs who defied them are now being exposed and forced to seek peace after some people lost their lives in the protests, others were abducted, while others were injured.