Big test for MPs on Uhuru fuel tax memo

What you need to know:

  • A section Nasa and Jubilee MPs vowed to shoot down the president’s reservations ahead of their parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday.
  • The rejection of the bill saw the House forced into a special sitting- on Tuesday and Thursday to consider the president’s memorandum.

The true measure whether the National Assembly is an independent institution or just an appendage of State House will be demonstrated on Thursday during a special sitting when the MPs vote to consider President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reservations on the Finance Bill 2018.

This comes as a section Nasa and Jubilee MPs vowed to shoot down the president’s reservations ahead of their parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting will enable the MPs ventilate the issue that has been a hot topic for the last two weeks and take a position on the president’s memorandum.

While Jubilee MPs will be meeting at State House under the chairmanship of the President, Siaya Senator James Orengo will oversee the Nasa meeting chaired by leader of minority John Mbadi at County Hall.

REJECTED BILL

On Friday last week, President Kenyatta announced that he had rejected the bill citing his reasons against deferring it until 2020.

The rejection of the bill saw the House forced into a special sitting- on Tuesday and Thursday to consider the president’s memorandum.

On Monday, a section of MPs led by Senate minority leader James Orengo (Siaya) said that the time to gauge whether the National Assembly stands with the people will be judged on the two days of special sittings.

ECONOMIC DEBT

“I want to appeal to the National Assembly to reject in total the President’s memorandum and remind them that Parliament represents the will of the people. It is not an extension of the Executive. This is not a party issue but the effect it has to the country’s economy,” he said.

If the MPs shoot down the memorandum, President Kenyatta will have no otherwise but to sign the bill into law once it is presented to him or fail to act and let it become an act on its own motion. If they fail, the president’s proposals will stand.

Mr Orengo accused Jubilee of sinking the country into economic debt over its insatiable appetite to borrow endlessly.