MPs to consider Ruto’s Finance Bill rejection when Parliament resumes - Speaker Wetangula

President William Ruto’s rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024, will be a part of the National Assembly’s business once MPs resume sittings from their three-week recess this week, Speaker Moses Wetangula has said.

Ruto on June 26 announced that he would not assent to the contentious Bill after deadly protests and instead sent it back to Parliament with a memorandum to withdraw all the clauses.

“Parliament resumes sittings after its three-week recess and as you are aware, the President declined to assent to the Finance Bill 2024 and sent it back to Parliament with a memorandum that he had rejected all the Bill’s clauses,” Wetangula said on Monday.

“Under our standing orders, when the President sends a memorandum of that nature, any member who wants to overturn it must garner two-thirds of the members of the House, which is about 233.”

The National Assembly speaker also dismissed reports that the Bill would be operational within two weeks of its rejection, saying the two-week window does not touch on the MPs’ recess.

“The Bill is in limbo awaiting the next vote on it in the House,” he said.

Wetangula noted that the government has in the meantime brought a supplementary budget that is being handled by the requisite committee.

Similarly, he placed the damage to Parliament when protesters stormed into the buildings and set ablaze a section of it on June 25 at Ksh.94 million. Wetangula said the insurance coverage of the premises will cover the costs.

At the same time, the Speaker noted the establishment of the selection panel for the appointment of new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners will be done in 14 days.