Azimio MPs barred from foreign travel ahead of Finance Bill voting
![Azimio MPs barred from foreign travel ahead of Finance Bill voting Azimio MPs barred from foreign travel ahead of Finance Bill voting](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/126488/conversions/azimio-og_image.webp)
Azimio coalition co-principal and Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka leads a press address on June 14, 2024.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party has
suspended all foreign trips by its lawmakers from this weekend ahead of debate
and voting on the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 in Parliament next week.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who led the
coalition leaders in addressing the press on Friday afternoon, laughed off the
budget statement read on Thursday by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u
saying it would adversely hurt citizens.
“We urge the international community, civil
society organisations and concerned citizens to stand in solidarity with
Kenyans in condemning the Kenya Kwanza regime’s blatant disregard for the
public good,” said Kalonzo.
"We therefore reaffirm our stand that
all Kenyans must oppose the Finance Bill 2024 and have instructed all our parliamentary
members to lead from the foot in rejecting this punitive bill in its
totality."
The opposition coalition party insisted that
its MPs must be present in the House to reject the Bill that they termed punitive.
"We are asking our MPs and also the 179 MPs
in Kenya Kwanza to know that sera mbaya, maisha mbaya. They should all reject
the Finance Bill because it will hurt all the people regardless of whether they
are in Azimio or Kenya Kwanza," said DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa.
"We are urging our MPs not to travel
this week as they await the Finance Bill debate, they should also not fail to
attend the sessions."
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said the
party had already dispatched letters to its legislators instructing them to appear in Parliament
the entire next week without failure.
"All members of the National Assembly are
to suspend any planned trips or any activities which would see them out of
Nairobi for the duration of the consideration of the Finance Bill 2024, from
the date of tabling on Tuesday next week until a vote is taken," said
Sifuna.
Senator Sifuna further threatened action
against MPs who would not comply with the directive.
"Last year, the coalition gave a
position similar to the one we have given, we in ODM did undertake disciplinary
action for either absconding or voting against the position of the
coalition," he said.
Kalonzo and the team said that some of the
clauses in the Bill are unrealistic and MPs across the board must shoot it
down.
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