President William Ruto's Wednesday memo declining to assent to the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 meant that the Bill no longer exists, constitutional lawyer, Dr Ekuru Aukot has said.
This is despite National Assembly Moses Wetangula committing the memo to the Departmental Committee on Finance to consider the President’s reservations and recommendations.
Reacting to Wetangula’s decision to commit the memo to the committee led by Molo Member Parliament Kuria Kimani Aukot told the Star there is no Bill because the President deleted it entirely.
"When the President returns a law with a memorandum it means there is still need for discussions and negotiations around it for it to be passed into a law, in the absence of that we can’t talk of a Bill,’’ Aukot said in a phone interview.
"As we speak we don’t have a Bill because the President has said in his memoranda 'delete the entire Bill' so we don’t have a bill as we speak, there is no Finance Bill. It has to start afresh."
Wetangula in his communication on Thursday said the committee is expected to expeditiously commence consideration of the Presidential Memorandum, its reservations and recommendations and report to the House at the next regular sittings upon its resumption.
"Any member desirous of negating the President’s reservations or reviving any of the 69 clauses of the Bill is required to marshal the votes of at least 233 MPs,’’ Wetangula said.
MPs are currently on recess and are expected to resume sittings on 23rd July, 2024.
