Starehe MP Amos Mwago Exposes Blackmail Tactics and Controversies Surrounding Finance Bill 2024
Starehe Member of Parliament Amos Mwago has disclosed instances of blackmail and threats preceding the vote on the Finance Bill 2024.
Mwago, one of the 115 MPs who opposed the contentious bill, revealed that 204 members voted to advance it to the next stage.
In a morning talk show on Friday, Mwago claimed there were significant efforts to intimidate and deceive National Assembly members into supporting the bill.
He detailed how the Treasury warned that failure to pass the bill would lead to cuts in Constituency Development Funds (CDF) and other essential government services.
“They attempted to blackmail us,” Mwago remarked, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the budget-making process involving the Treasury, Budget Committee, and Finance Committee.
“When drafting these bills, they seemed disconnected from their actions, resorting to blackmail tactics by proposing cuts to junior secondary schools, medical interns, and the CDF.”
Despite nationwide youth protests rejecting the bill, Treasury warnings about funding reductions convinced MPs to move the bill forward after heated debate.
Mwago highlighted that attempts to pressure legislators into passing the bill sparked widespread public outcry.
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He also criticized the government for introducing last-minute amendments like excise duties on bread and an Eco Levy on vegetable oil through the Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
Furthermore, the government reversed its decision to tax locally and internationally manufactured-diapers and sanitary towels in the latest amendment before the vote.
According to National Assembly Finance Committee Chair Kuria Kimani, the newly proposed Eco Levy will only affect imported finished products.
Thursday’s anti-Finance Bill protests led to numerous arrests and left at least 39 people injured, as reported by the Kenya Red Cross.
Despite the protests, the controversial Finance Bill 2024 successfully passed its second reading in the National Assembly, sparking anger among many Kenyans, particularly the youth, who vowed to continue peaceful demonstrations in the days ahead.
Starehe MP Amos Mwago Exposes Blackmail Tactics and Controversies Surrounding Finance Bill 2024
