Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has vowed to challenge the Finance Bill 2024, should the Appropriation Act not be enacted.
Speaking during an interview, Omtatah remarked that the proposed tax increases were based on an illegality.
The vocal senator wondered why President William Ruto’s administration was keen on raising taxes without furnishing Parliament with revenue estimates.
“We want to set the Appropriation Act that has got a revenue side which then the Finance Bill will be anchored on,” he stated.
“If that is not done then we are going to fight it in its entirety because they must disclose revenue estimates.”
Omtatah revealed that the Kenya Kwanza administration has on several occasions given Parliament expenditure for a proposed budget without the corresponding source of revenue.
The parliamentarian explained that a Finance Act was a measure to raise revenue to finance the budget as outlined in the Public Finance Management Act.
Senator Omtatah remarked that not setting up the Appropriation Act before presenting the Bill is against Articles 220 and 221 of the Constitution.
Omtatah remarked that the Kenya Kwanza administration was now at fault for routinely producing a budget that does not have revenue.
The MP remarked that Ruto’s administration should understand that the Finance Act should be a measure to raise approved revenue.
