NAIROBI, Kenya June 15 – Opposition MPs staged a walkout from the National Assembly during the budget reading Thursday.
The MPs led by Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi booed Treasury Cabinet Secretary Professor Njuguna Ndung’u and walked out as soon as he started speaking.
The Treasury CS had barely commenced reading the Sh3.6 trillion budget by the government which the Opposition Coalition had faulted for failing to be centered on the issues facing the common Mwananchi.
The Azimio MPs accused Speaker Moses Wetangula of misleading the house on when the Finance Bill 2023 would be subjected to the vote on the second reading stage.
The Opposition lawmakers said that the Speaker had guided that the bill would be voted on next week on Tuesday questioning the hurried manner at which the vote was conducted.
“We have walked out on CS Njuguna Ndungu who has come to make some speech on two accounts. We are protesting against the arbitrary manner in which the debate and the vote on the Finance Bill were undertaken,” said Wandayi, “We feel it was rushed to achieve an objective and we are protesting against the manner of the budget estimates were taken.”
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo who had raised the matter on the floor of the House questioned why MPs had voted for the Finance Bill at the second reading stage yet the budget estimates had not been read.
Amollo argued that the move by the house was unprocedural.
“The Speaker told us that the voting will be done next week on Tuesday. For that reason its inconceivable that a member could stand up on standing order 95 and the Speaker accedes to stop debate and go the voting,”
The walkout however didn’t disrupt the budget reading as CS Ndungu soon continued with the presentation of the budget after boos and jeers ended after the MPs walked out.
The storm out by the Azimio legislators comes an hour after their coalition leader Raila Odinga revealed that he will be unveiling a parallel budget for the next financial year commencing July 1st.
Odinga mentioned that he will conduct public participation across all 47 counties before concluding the mock budget-making process.
