Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has faulted the courts’ decision claiming that they didn’t consider the public interest first.
The Prime CS was speaking at the Thanksgiving Ceremony for National Treasury Principal Chris Kiptoo in Keiyo North Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet on Saturday.
The Finance Act 2023 was assented to by President William Ruto on Monday.
Mudavadi said what was in contention was a procedural issue that could have attracted an alternative means of litigating other than suspending the act as a whole.
“It is true that the Judiciary must be independent but it is also, important that the Judiciary becomes alive to what we call public interest especially when courts are pronouncing themselves on certain key matters,” he said.
“The issue in court is a procedural issue, not even substance in terms of the law but mere procedural issue. Whoever made this decision, I hope you will reflect because how can a procedural issue supersede public interest."
The prime CS also said that President William Ruto is focused on turning around the economy of the country.
“Our first agenda is to turn around the economy and we cannot afford to take our eye off the ball. Kenyans are suffering,'' he said.
Mudavadi called on the courts to exercise their mandate by also thinking of what is good for this nation and her people.
“I hope the Judiciary in its own wisdom will also make corrective action because Kenya is moving and it is racing against time. The economic recovery process is a race against time,'' Mudavadi said.
The one-time Finance Minister in the early 1990s was echoing Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot’s position on the court’s decision as far as the finance act is concerned.
The Kericho Senator had cited that the case Presented by Busia Senator Okiya Omtata was not a unanimous position of the Senate thus distancing the Senate from the presentation.
He claimed that there was no consensus between the National Assembly and the Senate in the passing of the Finance Bill that was signed into law by President William Ruto.
“As the Senate Majority Leader, I have spoken with the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi. The Speaker has confirmed to me the steps that were undertaken under the law between him and the National Assembly Speaker as far as the Finance Act issue is concerned. There was 100% consensus.” said Cheruiyot.
“Senator Okiya Omtata in his personal capacity, is not the Senate. Omtata wanted to be consulted as to who on this matter?” added Cheruiyot.
Other leaders who spoke on the matter called on Kenyans to be patient and give the Kenya Kwanza time to work out modalities that will bring Kenya’s economic progress back to its rightful trajectory.
Mudavadi praised Kiptoo’s initiative of reconstructing the Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem which has been depleted.
Leaders led by President Ruto planted at least 17,000 trees to mark the 7th edition of the Kaptagat forest annual tree planting exercise as a form of celebrating Kiptoo’s appointment and encouraging the Keiyo community and Kenyans at large to support the governments initiative of achieving a target of having planted 15 billion trees planted by 2032.