Speaker Wetang’ula: MPs will vote on President’s memo on the finance bill after resuming sittings.

When Parliament reconvenes, Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula has stated that the House will take President William Ruto’s rejection of the Finance Bill 2024 into consideration.

But according to the Speaker, the Bill is officially dead (both the contested and the uncontested sections), and any Member who wants to bring back any of the Bill’s clauses must have the backing of at least 233 other Members at the right time (Article 115(4)(a) of the Constitution).
If there isn’t going to be an amendment, that means we concur with H.E. the President, which means we reject the Bill completely.
In order to remove all of the sections, President William Ruto returned the Finance Bill 2024 back to Parliament after declining to sign it.
The Speaker has stated that lawmakers would vote on the Finance Bill 2024 memorandum that the President has returned to Parliament.
Wetang’ula informed the media on Monday at his offices that Parliament will reconvene in July following a three-week break.
He indicated that members can vote on the memorandum if they wish to revive the Bill under the House’s Standing Orders.
“The President declined to assent to the Finance Bill, 2024 and sent back with a memorandum indicating that he is rejecting all the clauses of the Bill,” he said.
“So that Memorandum and rejection will also be part of the business of the House, remember that under our Standing Orders when the President sends a memorandum of that nature any member who wants to overturn that memorandum or any provision therein must garner two-thirds of the members of the house, that is about 233 of the members of the House.”
The Speaker added that he would place the memorandum before Parliament.
He went on to explain that rumors that the Bill would take into effect 14 days after the President declined to sign them were inaccurate.
Wetangula stated that the Bill cannot be implemented in those circumstances because of a clause in the constitution.
“The Bill is in limbo, it is purgatory so to speak awaiting the next vote on it in the House,” he said.
“Following the rejection, the government in furtherance of the austerity measures now being undertaken and the stress in budget processes has brought Supplementary Budget 1.”
The President gave in to the pressure from Generation Z in June, since they urged him to veto the Finance Bill 2024.
For the MPs’ consideration, the Head of State offered a number of changes to the Bill.
Parliament has the option to pass the Bill again without changes or modify it in light of the president’s concerns.
Before the measure moves on to the next phases of legislative review, the committee of the whole house model ensures careful study by allowing for a full assessment of each section.
Before the measure moves on to the next phases of legislative review, the committee of the whole house model ensures careful study by allowing for a full assessment of each section.