MPS urge High Court to dismiss petition on Finance Bill 2024

13th Parliament

Members of Parliament have urged the High Court to dismiss a petition filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah that seeks to block them from considering the Finance Bill 2024.

Through their lawyer Sandra Nganyi, the National Assembly told Justice Lawrence Mugambi that some of the issues being raised by the two petitioners Omtatah and Eliud Matindi were already determined in another matter filed in 2018, and is also the subject of an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal.

In a Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by the August house and supported by the Attorney General, the MPs claimed the current petition by the two is premature as it’s challenging a Bill that has not yet been passed and is still being processed by the National Assembly.

However, in a brief rejoinder, Omtatah said the current case doesn’t relate to the one pending at the Court of Appeal as alleged by National Assembly lawyer Sandra Nganyi.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi has said he will deliver his ruling on 19th June.

Elsewhere, activist Nuru Maloba Okanga will be detained for five days for allegedly publishing false information and cyber harassment.

Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation urged the Magistrate to grant them 21 days to compete investigations.

According to the prosecution, Nuru was captured in a Tiktok account uttering words that which might bring tension to the country by attacking the Head of State.