- The voting that followed a heated debate saw 176 MPs vote to endorse the Finance Bill 2023 to be read a third time while 81 MPs out of 257 opposed.
- Azimio nonetheless expressed optimism that all is not lost after the vote was called in Kenya Kwanza's favour.
Image: FILE
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has made a mockery of the Azimio coalition after Parliament voted in favour of Finance Bill 2023 during the second reading stage on Wednesday.
The voting that followed a heated debate saw 176 MPs vote to have it sail through the second reading while 81 MPs out of 257 opposed.
Ngunyi called out the Azimio camp for failing to mount a considerable pushback on the proposed tax measures terming their defeat an embarrassment.
"The defeat of Azimio in this Finance Bill 2023 is an embarrassment to our national imagination. They could not even raise a bi-partisan consensus of 100 MPs," he said.
"Ruto had twice the number of MPs at 176/81. What a shame! And what is the point of being on the wrong side of history? It's over," the political pundit averred.
Azimio nonetheless expressed optimism that all is not lost after the vote was called in Kenya Kwanza's favour.
The Raila Odinga-led minority faction in the House resorted to singing the popular protest song 'Bado mapambano' after the declaration of official results.
"WaKenya msilale, lale, lale, bado mapambano, mapambano, mapambano," they sang in unison.
The Bill now moves to the committee of the whole House where members will have a chance to push through their amendments.
The Committee will consider the Bill clause by clause and take a vote on each of the clauses.
Among key amendments to the Bill is the proposed 15 per cent for Digital Content Creators which has been reviewed to 5 per cent.
The proposed three per cent housing levy has also been reduced to 1.5 per cent in the new amendments.
The committee chaired by Molo MP Kimani Kuria resolved to retain the 16 per cent VAT on petroleum products which will bring tax on petrol to the same level as kerosene and diesel.
On Wednesday, before the MPs voted on the Bill, there was an intense debate to discuss the proposed tax measures.
Both President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga had put their lieutenants on notice that they would be under watch to see which way they would vote on the Bill.
The Bill proposes among other things a housing levy on workers’ salaries, increased taxes on fuel, and new taxes on beauty products.
Ruto said the Bill is vital to raise revenues needed to fund his administration’s maiden budget of Sh3.6 trillion.