PARLIAMENT BOYCOTT

House adjourns as MPs protest Uhuru veto on bills

MPs stayed away over what they termed as 'incessant memorandums' from Uhuru.

In Summary

• This was the second time MPs staged the quorum hitch, the first being after their defeat in the bid to overturn Uhuru's reservations with the law on interest rate caps.

• Jubilee Party Majority Whip Benjamin Washiali said members were expressing their frustration with an attempt by the president to legislate on their behalf.

Legislators during a past joint session of parliament.
Legislators during a past joint session of parliament.
Image: FILE

The National Assembly's Wednesday morning sitting was adjourned after members failed to raise quorum in protest.

The lawmakers stayed away over what they termed as 'incessant memorandums' from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This was the second time MPs staged the quorum hitch, the first being after their defeat in the bid to overturn Uhuru's reservations with the law on interest rate caps.

 

Jubilee Party Majority Whip Benjamin Washiali said members were expressing their frustration with an attempt by the president to legislate on their behalf.

"Members seem fed up with these memoranda. They want space to undertake their legislation mandate," the Mumias East MP said.

The sittings started on a slow note with only two MPs contributing to the motion on registration of farmers.

Sitting speaker Chris Omulele (Luanda MP) adjourned the sittings after the House failed to raise the required 50 members.

A paltry 20 MPs were present even as members proclaimed they will not conduct any business during the afternoon sittings.

On Tuesday, Parliament was again forced to adjourn after MPs walked out following the passage of the law setting stage for banks to charge interest rates on loans as they please.

Kenyans will now borrow loans from banks at interest rates defined by the financial institutions.

 

This was after MPs failed to raise numbers required to overturn President Uhuru Kenyatta's reservations of their earlier attempt to retain the limits on interest rates at 14 per cent.

At least 233 MPs were required to vote to defeat the reservations, a number that has proven difficult for Parliament to raise.

Only 161 members were present.

This means that commercial banks will now be at liberty to charge the rates as they please following the repeal of Section 33 (b) which set the caps

Uhuru, in his refusal to assent to the Finance Bill, said the interest rate caps stifled borrowing by SMEs arguing the entities were crowded by government's appetite for borrowing from commercial banks.


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