Parliament clears Thursday budget date

The National Assembly has cleared the path for Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to table the 2022-2023 budget highlights this Thursday.

While the Planning Ministry had already earmarked Thursday afternoon for the presentation, the plan risked being scuttled by the house due to pending perquisites including the tabling of the final budget estimates and the 2022 Finance Bill.

However, in his communication to the House on Tuesday afternoon, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi gave the exchequer the leeway to table the highlights considering the already truncated Parliament calendar.

“These election-related circumstances are obviously disruptive to the budget timelines that would ordinarily have been observed in an ordinary year. It is instructive to note as per the calendar of the house, the date of April 30 when the Cabinet Secretary is expected to submit the estimates to this house falls within the recess period. In this regard, if no adjustment is made in order for the estimates to be submitted before the House goes on recess next week. The House would have breached the practice,” he said.

The upcoming August 9 General Elections have enforced the adjustments to not just the budget making calendar but also the Parliamentary schedule with Members of Parliament sent to break indefinitely from House sittings on June 14.

On its part the National Treasury had envisioned presenting the budget highlights even earlier in the year to factor in changes to the calendar.

For instance, as per the 2021 Budget Review and Outlook Paper (BROP), the National Treasury had envisioned to give its annual budget statement in Parliament on March 10.

Treasury CS Ukur Yatani will now present the highlights to the 2022 budget which is estimated at Ksh.3.3 trillion in net terms on Thursday afternoon.

This before subsequently tabling the final budget estimates and the 2022 Finance Bill.

Thursday's budget statement is expected to however cover most of the spending highlights alongside an overview of newly proposed taxation measures.