{"id":114423,"date":"2025-04-30T19:04:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/parliament-kicks-off-review-of-2025-26-budget-as-speaker-warns-against-politicising-finance-bill\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T19:04:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:04:17","slug":"parliament-kicks-off-review-of-2025-26-budget-as-speaker-warns-against-politicising-finance-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/parliament-kicks-off-review-of-2025-26-budget-as-speaker-warns-against-politicising-finance-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliament Kicks Off Review of 2025\/26 Budget as Speaker Warns Against Politicising Finance Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 30 \u2013 Parliament has officially commenced the review of the 2025\/26 Budget Estimates, with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula urging lawmakers to maintain the integrity of the budget process and avoid politicising the Finance Bill in public forums.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking during the final sitting before a one-month recess, Wetang\u2019ula confirmed that both the 2025\/26 Budget Estimates and the draft Finance Bill 2025 had been formally tabled, setting in motion the constitutional budget cycle as outlined in Article 221 of the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Estimates now stand committed to the relevant Departmental Committees and the Budget and Appropriations Committee for in-depth analysis and public consultations,\u201d he said, stressing the importance of transparency, genuine public participation, and alignment with national priorities.<\/p>\n

The Speaker took issue with MPs who have resorted to discussing the Finance Bill at funerals, schools, and political rallies instead of debating it on the floor of the House.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelpless talks in funerals and public places will not help you pass appropriate budgeting processes in this House,\u201d he said. \u201cAvoid the temptation to stand before helpless nursery kids and claim you\u2019re opposing a Bill that you\u2019re yet to debate.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cI\u2019ve seen this happen in many places\u2014you don\u2019t look good when you do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Finance Bill 2025, which proposes a raft of tax measures aimed at boosting revenue, is expected to face intense scrutiny. It will undergo First Reading before being referred to the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, which will lead public hearings and stakeholder engagements.<\/p>\n

Minority Leader Junet Mohamed cautioned against misinformation surrounding the Bill, saying the document now before Parliament is the official version.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us base our discussions on facts, not fears. If you oppose the Bill, do so here in the chamber\u2014not at funerals or before schoolchildren,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s budget debate follows the dramatic withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024, which was shelved after weeks of public protests and mounting political pressure. That Bill, which proposed several controversial tax hikes, was abandoned before reaching the Second Reading stage\u2014a rare move that signalled the growing impact of civic engagement in shaping tax policy.<\/p>\n

The 2024 experience continues to loom large over this year\u2019s process, with lawmakers and the public alike expected to subject the new proposals to heightened scrutiny. Previous Bills in 2018 and 2021 also faced fierce resistance over taxes on fuel and essential goods, leading to amendments and, in some cases, executive intervention.<\/p>\n

Wetang\u2019ula called on MPs to use the recess to consult widely and prepare for informed, constructive debate when Parliament reconvenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not merely a procedural exercise\u2014it is a defining moment for our national priorities. Let us approach it with the seriousness and responsibility it demands,\u201d he said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 30 \u2013 Parliament has officially commenced the review of the 2025\/26 Budget Estimates, with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula urging lawmakers to maintain the integrity of the budget process and avoid politicising the Finance Bill in public forums. Speaking during the final sitting before a one-month recess, Wetang\u2019ula confirmed that both the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}