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0 Kenya’s President William Ruto says he will not sign the Financial Bill 2024 and that the bill will subsequently be withdrawn.
This was contained in a televised message on the afternoon of Wednesday June 26, 2024. Mr. Ruto was forced to address the nation at 4PM Kenya time after days of protests that have claimed over 22 lives so far.
In his address, Mr. Ruto took time to explain why the government had decided to bring in the taxes at this time, saying the country needed it for priority areas.
“The Finance Bill 2024 underwent public participation which resulted to concessions by which we agreed to drop proposals on VAT on bread, VAT on locally manufactured diapers and sanitary pads…among others. The additional tax measures we had proposed were to raise 346 billion shillings (KES)…after public participation, that came down to 200 billion. I made the proposal looking at our situation and priorities,” he said.
William Ruto emphasized the priority areas as being 10 billion shillings into fertilizer subsidy (agriculture), education, health insurance which would have received 6 billion shillings, among others.
But the Kenyan President said he has been made to change his mind on the matter.
“It has become evident that members of the public still insist on the need for us to make more concessions, and because I run a government, but I also lead people, and the people have spoken…. having reflected, on the Financial Bill 2024 and listening keenly to the people of Kenya, I concede and therefore will not sign the Finance Bill 2024 and it shall be withdrawn…and that becomes our collective position”
Earlier in the day, the National Assembly of Kenya’s Parliament approved the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in support of the police in the ongoing countrywide protests against the Finance Bill, 2024.
The approval given during a special sitting elicited controversy on its legal basis and the manner in which it was conducted.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo took to social media to state that the sitting occurred without media coverage as is the norm in past proceedings and took about 30 minutes.
He questioned whether there was even the constitutionally mandated quorum which requires 50 members in the National Assembly before it was approved.
He posted on X “National Assembly Has Just Made Kenya A Military State; Authorizing Deployment Of KDF Without Indicating Where, Why Or For What Period, & Did So Retrospectively Contrary to Article 241(3)(c). God Bless Us.”
It is unclear whether the latest move by President William Ruto would stop the planned continuous protest tomorrow, Thursday, June 27, 2024.
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