All eyes are on president William Ruto and the National Assembly as the former maintained a hardline stance to push through the contentious Finance Bill 2024 during a UDA parliamentary group meeting held earlier this week amid widespread protests opposing the same.
Today, as the National Assembly resume debating the controversial bill, protestors have confirmed that they will go back to the streets as they continue to lobby for the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024 by Members of Parliament (MPs).
This comes as the National Assembly will be holding two sessions (morning and afternoon) to continue debating the Bill that has sparked ire among Kenyans over its push for more taxation.
After the National Assembly Finance and National Planning Committee tabled its report to Parliament on Tuesday this week following the bill’s public participation, legislators spent the better part of Wednesday discussing the proposed law.
The debate continues on today, with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula directing any MP planning to move an amendment to the Bill to do so by 1 p.m.
Heavily armed anti-riot police officers have cordoned-off Parliament Road and City Hall Way to bar protestors from accessing parliamentary precincts.
A spot check by The Informer Media Group showed heavy deployment of uniformed and plain clothed officers even as Kenyans are expected to storm the streets of Nairobi Central Business District to protest over Finance Bill 20224 under a rallying call dubbed “occupy parliament”.
Today’s protests kicked off just before president William Ruto’s government announced that it had axed some proposed taxes in the contentious Bill.
However, irate Kenyans led by unarmed and non-violent protestors armed with copies of Kenya Constitution 2010 maintain that the Bill should be dropped wholly, and the ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests will be held in various parts of Nairobi, according to flyers circulated by the demonstrations’ organisers on social media.
While president Ruto acknowledges that every Kenyan has a right to protest, he maintains that the ongoing demos will not cripple his government’s decision-making.
“Civil society is free to do what they want to do; those who want to demonstrate, they can demonstrate, it is their right, no problem, but decisions have to be made by institutions,” Ruto said yesterday.
On Tuesday next week, MPs are set to move amendments approved by the Speaker at the committee of the whole, also known as the Third Reading of the Bill.
Legislators will then take a final vote on the proposed law.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula directed any MP planning to move an amendment to the Bill to do so by 1 pm Thursday.
The National Assembly Finance and National Planning Committee tabled its report to Parliament on Tuesday following the Bill’s public participation as legislators spent the better part of Wednesday discussing the proposed law.
Despite enduring the effects of teargas, spending hours in police cells, and engaging police in running battles around Nairobi CBD for most of Tuesday, the protestors have vowed to remain steadfast and return to the streets Thursday.
On Wednesday, youths from Mombasa County braved heavy rains to continue the ‘Reject Finance Bill’ protests.
The anti-finance bill protests have gained momentum as more counties are expected to join Nairobi in the demonstrations.
