NAIROBI, Kenya – Parliament has formally commenced consideration of the 2025/26 Budget Estimates, with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula urging lawmakers to uphold the dignity of legislative processes by debating the Finance Bill within the chambers not in public rallies, funerals, or schools.
Addressing the House just before its month long recess, Wetang’ula confirmed receipt and tabling of the national budget estimates, marking the start of the legislature’s constitutional role in determining how public funds will be raised and allocated across government arms.
“In line with Article 221 of the Constitution and Section 39 of the Public Finance Management Act, these Estimates now stand committed to the respective Departmental Committees and the Budget and Appropriations Committee for detailed examination and public engagement,” he said.
The Speaker emphasized that Parliament alone holds the mandate to determine the national resource envelope, and reminded MPs that the Appropriations Act,a product of this process,has binding implications for the entire government.
Wetang’ula also announced that the draft Finance Bill, 2025 containing the Executive’s proposed tax measures had been submitted for formal introduction.
It is expected to undergo First Reading before referral to the Finance and Planning Committee for stakeholder hearings and analysis.
The Speaker criticized MPs who have been using funerals, public barazas, and school visits as platforms to pre-emptively attack the Finance Bill without engaging substantively in Parliament.
“You do not look good when you dramatize fiscal debates in public while staying silent in this House. The Finance Bill must be debated on the floor, where facts, policy, and law govern discussion not at funerals or before schoolchildren who cannot respond,” Wetang’ula said.
Minority Leader Junet Mohamed also weighed in, clarifying that the Finance Bill now tabled is the only official document under consideration. He dismissed what he termed a “shadow finance bill” that had been circulating on social media, fueling public outrage based on speculative proposals.
“The authentic Bill is now before Parliament. Let us speak from facts, not fear.If you oppose the Bill, do it here, where your arguments can be challenged,”said Junet.
The debate around the Finance Bill comes against a backdrop of growing public scrutiny over Kenya’s fiscal policy, debt management, and tax burden on citizens.
In recent years, Finance Bills have sparked significant opposition, sometimes forcing the government to backtrack on controversial measures.
The Finance Bill 2024 was formally withdrawn by the government following widespread public protests and mounting political pressure, marking a rare but significant retreat in Kenya’s budget-making history.
The proposed legislation, which included controversial tax measures seen as burdensome to ordinary citizens, sparked nationwide demonstrations, with civil society, opposition leaders, and even some ruling coalition members decrying its potential impact on the cost of living.
Speaker Wetang’ula urged MPs to rise above political expediency and conduct a transparent, consultative, and issue-based review process anchored in public interest.
“This is the most consequential duty bestowed upon Parliament. Let us treat it with the seriousness it deserves,” he said.
