Nairobi — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has capped the number of Finance Bill clauses in whose regard the House would consider amendments to eight citing significant interest.
Wetangula, who hastened to note the directive will not constitute precedent, allowed the move despite concerns over the need to seek Treasury's input on the proposals as lawmakers voted to sit late on Tuesday to consider amendments before subjecting the clauses to a vote.
"Having looked at the amendments listed and the clauses in the Bill that have attracted the highest proposals for amendments (Clauses 2, 24, 33, 34, 36, 43, 76 and 78), I will allow proposed amendments on those clauses to proceed regardless," the House Speaker directed.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah opposed amendments to the Finance Bill saying that the move would have far-reaching implications which would adversely affect revenue collection to finance budget.
"I would like members to really understand that every clause in this particular Bill has a financial implication," said Ichung'wah.
Finance Committee Chairperson Kimani Kuria questioned why the MPs were seeking to subject the Finance Bill to amendments which might lead to shrinking of revenue collection yet no amendments were being done to reduce expenditure.
"I would really urge this House when we come to debate on the revenue measures that you members of Parliament have already passed, which I did not see any of the members of Parliament on the other side amending any vote to reduce our expenditures to come and now reduce how we're going to finance this," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Treasury consensus
The Molo MP had implored members to shelve their amendments saying public participation provided the committee an opportunity to consider amendments on national interest.
"Most of the amendments that Honorable members were bringing, we actually had a sitting with the committee and looked at them. Most of those amendments were actually being carried in our amendments that we're proposing this afternoon," Kuria said.
Nominated MP John Mbadi had opposed the move by Speaker Wetangula to block all proposed amendments on the basis that the legislation under consideration is a money bill that requires consensus from the National Treasury due to possible financial implications.
"Mr Speaker by the way, you only have the authority in your opinion to determine whether it is a money bill. But as to whether the House should proceed, that is now supposed to come from the committee and that should be in the form of a report," said Mbadi.
The Nominated MP called for the amendment of the Standin Orders insisting the matter could not be left to the discretion of the Speaker or the Clerk of the National Assembly.
"There should be a report from the committee on each and every proposed amendment so that members proposing amendments are not disadvantaged. It should not be left at the whim of the Clerk or even the Speaker," Mbadi said.
Both President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza side and Raila Odinga's Azimio were engaged in last-minute lobbying ahead of the vote.
The opposition side has mounted obstacles to shoot down Ruto's tax proposals terming the as punitive even as Ruto's camp continued to whip its members to back the tax proposals.
