Good morning,
President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua caused a stir over the weekend after their bullish remarks on the chances of the contentious Finance Bill 2023 passing in parliament despite opposition by Azimio.
On Sunday, Ruto vowed to narrow down on MPs who would oppose the bill as he called for an open ballot voting to identify legislators ‘moving to fulfill their selfish interests and not those of Kenyans’.
His deputy, on the other hand, controversially stated that MPs opposing the bill should not expect any funds for projects such as roads in their constituencies.
According to the DP, the government is relying on the bill to raise revenue, therefore, legislators should be in full support if they expect to get development funds.
This comes a day after the second in command exuded confidence that the bill will pass as he took a swipe at Azimio MPs saying, “Even if you make noise and put sufurias on your head, even if you reject the bill, thinking it won’t pass, you don’t have the numbers and that’s the truth, there’s no need.”
The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, Njuguna Ndung’u, is scheduled to table the bill in Parliament on Thursday, June 15, 2023.
Do you think the bill will pass as predicted by Gachagua? And is the bill good for the country amid the prevailing economic hardships?
Here are the stories making headlines on Opera News this morning:
‘Done Deal!’ Ruto Allies Declare Fate of Finance Bill
Members of Parliament allied with President Ruto’s UDA party and the Kenya Kwanza Alliance are resolute in their stance that the bill will forcefully pass through parliament.
However, this declaration comes at a time when numerous Kenyans are vehemently opposing the bill, asserting that the taxes it aims to introduce will inflict further harm upon them.
Wamuchomba’s Bold Response to Ruto, Gachagua Threats
Mt Kenya leader Gathoni Wamuchomba who doubles as Githunguri member of parliament Hon Gathoni Wamuchomba has finally responded a day after Ruto and DP Gachagua’s threats to those opposed to the finance bill.
Speaking via a report covered in Tuesday’s Standard publication, Gathoni Wamuchomba who is one of the vocal UDA leaders from the region downplayed the threats saying she can’t be cowed.
Grounded Cars, Starving Detainees as Cash Crunch Hits Police Stations
Police officers have raised a red flag over delayed disbursement of funds for operations and failure by the State to settle pending bills, which may affect the feeding of suspects in cells should suppliers withdraw their services.
Multiple interviews with police bosses and accountants revealed a sad state of affairs, where some officers are forced to fuel vehicles and buy stationery out-of-pocket.