Budget top agenda as Parliament resumes

The National Assembly resumes its sittings on Tuesday after a one-month recess to a full in-tray, with the main focus being the consideration of the 2018/2019 Budget.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is on June 14 expected to highlight to the National Assembly his measures for raising revenue in the 2018/2019 financial year.

This is set to be followed by the review of the Appropriation Bill, 2018, and Consolidation Bill  on June 26 and 27, with the Finance Bill expected to be enacted by September 28.

REVENUE

The bills are key, as they pave the way for the government to effect its revenue-raising measures. They also give approval for the government to spend monies as envisaged in the approved Budget. 

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said they  had agreed with the Executive to give more resources to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Auditor-General to upscale the war on corruption.

“We expect the chairman of the Budget and Appropriation Committee to table the budget estimates latest by Wednesday morning so that MPs can debate them the whole week,” Mr Duale said.

He added that the House would be focused on fast-tracking all the bills that support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ‘Big Four’ projects.

MANDATE

The MPs resume duty just two weeks after Speaker Justin Muturi questioned their seriousness and capacity to discharge their oversight role. This is after it emerged that at least 70 per cent of the 349 MPs have no capacity to effectively discharge their legislative mandate, and they have requested for training. At the same time, Aldai MP Cornelly Serem has said he will sponsor a motion this week, seeking to disband the anti-graft agency, and have its budget channelled towards strengthening the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations.

“I am sure I will marshal enough numbers to send  the EACC home. It has failed in its core mandate and I believe my sentiment is shared by many people, including my fellow MPs,” Mr Serem said.

The Bills in the third reading include the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, the Building Surveyors Bill, the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) and the Energy Bill.