- Under the #OccupyParliament, Kenyans have called on the legislators to reject the entire bill.
- MPs have, however, agreed to drop some of the contentious proposals in the Bill currently before the National Assembly.
Image: FILE
The Wiper party has warned their MPs who voted yes for the Finance Bill on Thursday.
The Finance Bill, 2024 passed the second reading stage with 204 MPs voting yes while 115 rejected.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka in a statement on X said that there will be consequences for those who voted in favour of the Bill.
He said that all Wiper MPs were instructed to reject the Finance Bill in totality.
"All our MPs were instructed to reject FinanceBill 2024 and that is on record. There were no exemptions. Choices have consequences not just for the two, but all who betrayed Kenyans," the statement reads.
The MPs who voted for the Finance Bill have come under sharp criticism from leaders in the opposition and a section of Kenyans.
This is after Kenyans across the country took to the streets for two days to demonstrate against the high taxes imposed in the Finance Bill 2024 terming it as 'punitive'.
Under the #OccupyParliament, Kenyans have called on the legislators to reject the entire bill.
MPs have, however, agreed to drop some of the contentious proposals in the Bill currently before the National Assembly.
Among the tax proposals dropped are 16 per cent VAT on bread, VAT on the transportation of sugar, tax on financial services and foreign exchange transactions and 2.5 per cent for motor vehicles.
The demonstrations were organised through social media to encourage residents to join in.
After the Tuesday voting, the Bill proceeds to the Committee of the whole House for consideration of proposed amendments.
The Bill has now gone to the Committee of the whole House where proposed amendments will be debated and voted on before a final vote is taken on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
The Committee is comprised of the whole membership of the National Assembly.
"Members, the matter of the Finance Bill is now over, we wait for the committee of the whole, those who have amendments to file, clerk and his team will process those amendments," National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula said.