Blackmail claims reign in National Assembly as Opposition point fingers at Treasury » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 20 – Opposition lawmakers have accused the Kenya Kwanza government of using threats and intimidations to ensure passage of the Finance Bill 2024.

This is after Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u announced contingency cuts amounting to Sh1.52 trillion for the 2024/2025 financial year should the Bill not sail through.

Budget and Appropriation Chairperson Ndindi Nyoro told Members of Parliament that Treasury will have no option but to slash the budget in various sector due to finance deficit, if the bill hits a snag.

Azimio La Umoja lawmakers insisted that the Finance Bill must be rejected despite the assertions by the National Treasury.

The bill passed through the first hurdle after sailing through the second reading stage and next week is slated to be considered at the committee of the whole house where it will be subjected to amendments.

If the amendments by MPs are passed they will be part of the final bill once its passed on the Third reading stage.

Homa Bay town MP Peter Kaluma asserted that if keeping the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) will mean imposing additional taxes on Kenyans,it better be withdrawn for people to survive harsh economic times.

 “We have seen Nyoro and a few others from the majority side threatening us that they will withdraw NG-CDF and NGAAF funds if we do not support the Bill. They should know that these are constitutional provisions and they can’t simply take them away,” Kaluma stated. 

Mombasa Women representative ZamZam Mohammed asserted that arm-twisting will not work on legislators insisting they will not bow.

“If reducing the budget is what will liberate our Kenyans then do away with the CDF but we will not allow the government to use this to intimidate us. We can not pass a Bill that has proposed increasing taxes on health equipment meant to treat cancer,” stated Zam Zam.

Budget cut proposals

Proposed budget cuts include Sh900 billion (for provision of sanitary towels) recurrent expenditure cut under the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and a further Sh600 million cut under the medical vote.

Also included is Sh15 billion cut from the National Government- Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) kitty, Sh15.1 billion from ongoing roads projects, Sh11.6 billion from various projects under the water works development agencies and a further Sh7.75 billion from Security Operations and Modernization under Ministry of Defence.

Security operations under Internal Security will be slashed by Sh2 billion, Reduction in the budget for various Regional Development Authorities Sh4.6 billion.

 Foreign relations and diplomacy Sh1.85 billion Ongoing TVETs and TTIs projects Sh800 million, Funding for the Differentiated Unit Cost model in universities Sh2.1 billion, Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Sh3.2 billion and the University infrastructure projects by Sh3.0 billion.

Infrastructure for primary and secondary schools is facing a proposed budgetary cut of Sh1.6 billion, School feeding program Sh1.8 billion, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Sh4.7 billion, Kenya Airways Sh 1 billion and Civil Servants Insurance Scheme Sh1 billion.

 Equalization Fund arrears 1 billion, Pending Bills Sh5 billion, Provision for Medical Interns Sh3.7 billion and Managed Equipment Service (MES) under state department for medical services Sh1 billion.

CS Ndungu is seeking slashing  the budget of Office of the President by Sh451 million and a further Sh500 million from operations under State House.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will lose Sh200 million, office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Sh195 million,

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