Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Members of Parliament have withdraw their amendments to the Finance Bill 2024.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula disclosed he had received 37 amendments to the bill but 13 MPs from Azimio La Umoja have written to him seeking withdrawals of the amendments proposals.
Three more amendments which include those of Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Ruaraka MP T.J Kajwang and Nominated MP John Mbadi were withdrawn on the floor of the house.
"Out of the 37 amendments,13 have been withdrawn. I have been asked by Hon Kajwang that he wishes to withdraw the amendments. The rest I rule them out because they want to make reckless political statement in the guise of amendments," Wetangula stated.
"Any members who wants to withdraw the amendment, write a letter to the Speaker and the clerk of the table will be notified," he added.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi told the House that the amendments were withdrawn after extensive deliberation saying it would be futile to propose their amendments since they are handicapped when it comes to numbers.
"We had extensive deliberation yesterday as Azimio we withdrew the amendments because would have been an exercise futility and a means to sanitize the Finance Bill process," Wandayi said.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo added,"Mr Speaker thank you for your guidance.I have no amendments because I took the position you cannot amend a bad bill."
Minority Whip Junet Mohammed insisted that lawmakers should be accorded an opportunity to withdraw their amendments on the floor of the house.
"I want to give judicial notice that the chair of the committee of the whole should give every member an opportunity to withdraw his amendment at the rise of the matter," said Mohammed.
Finance Bill amendments
Some of the amendments proposed by the Kenya Kwanza lawmakers include one on Eco levy where they want the tax removed even on imported products such as sanitary towels and diapers as the locally made ones are not enough.
The Finance bill seeks to increase the road maintenance levy charged on all petroleum fuels imported to Kenya for home use.
The MPs also come up with an amendment to block the intended increase in fuel levy that will see the price of fuel increase by Sh 7 per liter.
In the proposal, the lawmakers have also proposed amendments that will bar beneficiaries from selling houses acquired under the affordable housing scheme as proposed in the finance bill.
The finance bill seeks to amend section 54 of the Affordable Housing Act, to clean up the provision following the advisory given by the Attorney General."
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The lawmakers have also brought amendments to do away with the proposed digital tax after the bill enhanced the meaning of digital content monetization by including creative works and creating or sharing of the material as a form of acquiring an income which will be subjected to taxation.
During the consideration of the amendments National Assembly is expected to consider, amend or retain some of the controversial clauses.
The Finance and planning chaired by Molo MP Kimani Kuria has proposed various amendments to remove the contentious clauses on the bill including the proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, transportation of sugar, financial services, foreign exchange transactions as well as the 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax.
They also proposed to remove the increase in mobile money transfer fees, and Excise Duty on vegetable oil has also been removed.
Levies on the Housing Fund and the proposed one on Social Health Insurance will not attract income tax, putting much more money in the pockets of employees.
The proposed Eco Levy will only be imposed on imported finished products that contribute to e-waste and thus harm the environment when they are no longer in use.
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