BONYO'S BONE: Come on Bunge, mnabore?

Earlier this week, I watched the National Assembly debate the Finance Bill with growing disappointment.

Given the significance of this legislation, I expected a robust, informed and evidence-based debate. Instead, much of what unfolded fell far short of that expectation. Even more concerning were instances where some Members of Parliament appeared to misrepresent the contents of the Bill, risking further confusion among Kenyans who rely on Parliament for accurate information.

Sadly, this is not the first time the House has failed to rise to the occasion. But after the national conversation surrounding the Finance Bills of the last two years, Kenyans had every reason to expect a more serious and more informed engagement this time.

The Finance Bill is arguably the most scrutinised piece of legislation that comes before Parliament each year. It determines how government raises revenue and directly affects households, businesses and the economy.

Since 2024, ordinary Kenyans have demonstrated an unprecedented interest in its contents, often reading and analysing its provisions themselves. It is only reasonable to expect that those elected to represent them would demonstrate an even deeper understanding of the Bill.

Granted, the Finance Bill is technical. Tax legislation is rarely an easy read. But every Member of Parliament has access to parliamentary researchers, legal counsel and committee staff whose very role is to analyse legislation. If an MP lacks the time to interrogate the Bill personally, taxpayers have already funded a support system to assist them in doing exactly that. Unfortunately, the shortcomings did not end with the Second Reading.

The Committee Stage, where substantive amendments ought to receive meticulous scrutiny, often drifted into political exchanges rather than detailed examination of the proposed changes. Only a handful of members consistently engaged with the substance of the Bill, proposing or defending amendments on their merits.

The Third Reading was perhaps the most disappointing. This is the final opportunity for Parliament to pronounce itself on legislation that will affect millions of Kenyans. One would therefore expect a packed chamber and sustained debate. Instead, the House struggled to maintain quorum, with the temporary Speaker repeatedly reminding members to remain relevant to the question before the House.

Ironically, some of the loudest voices on the Finance Bill at political rallies and press conferences were nowhere to be seen when it mattered most inside the chamber where laws are actually made. This pattern reflects a deeper problem.

Too often, members take political positions on the Finance Bill long before they have studied its provisions. Support or opposition is frequently determined by political alignment rather than legislative analysis. As the Bill moves through Parliament, relatively few members invest the time required to understand its clauses and their implications.

The result is predictable: misinformation flourishes, public debate becomes clouded, and a critical legislative process is reduced to political theatre.

Perhaps it is time for Parliament to invest in strengthening members' legislative capacity on complex financial legislation. Whether through structured policy briefings, technical workshops or internal forums before debate begins, better-informed legislators would produce better-informed public discourse.

Kenyans deserve a Parliament that debates facts instead of slogans, scrutinises legislation instead of political narratives, and treats the Finance Bill with the seriousness it commands.