NAIROBI, Kenya June 20 \u2013 The controversial Finance Bill 2024 passed the second reading in the National Assembly Thursday amid violent street protests in Nairobi and other major towns.<\/p>\n
The Bill sailed through with 204 votes in favour and 115 against in what has angered Kenyans across the country, mainly the routh who have been on the streets since Monday.<\/p>\n
The bill, which has been a subject of intense debate and public outcry, aims to introduce new tax measures to raise additional revenue for the government\u2019s budget. However, many Kenyans have expressed concerns over the proposed taxes, arguing that they will further burden the already struggling populace.<\/p>\n
In Nairobi, demonstrators, mainly the GenZ\u2019s took to the streets to voice their opposition to the bill, resulting in violent clashes with the police. Protesters accused the police of using excessive force, including tear gas and water cannons, to disperse the crowds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are the beating us yet we are peaceful protesters,\u201d one protester yelled engulfed in teagas smoke, \u201cand that is why we are saying [President] Ruto must go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s events are a clear indication of the government\u2019s disregard for the voice of the people,\u201d said Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, a vocal critic of the bill. \u201cInstead of listening to our concerns, they resort to violence and intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starehe MP Amos Mwago echoed these sentiments, criticizing the police for their heavy-handed approach. \u201cThe police must remember that their duty is to protect citizens, not to attack them,\u201d Mwago stated. \u201cThe use of excessive force is unacceptable and must be condemned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the protests, the Finance Bill 2024 moved one step closer to becoming law. Proponents of the bill argue that the new tax measures are necessary to bridge the budget deficit and fund critical development projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we understand the concerns of our fellow Kenyans, it is important to recognize the need for these tax measures,\u201d said Kimani Kuria, Chair of the National Assembly Finance Committee. \u201cWe have made significant amendments to address the public\u2019s concerns, and we believe this bill will ultimately benefit the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the bill proceeds to the next stage of the legislative process, the opposition coalition, Azimio La Umoja, has vowed to continue its efforts to challenge the proposed tax measures. They argue that the bill disproportionately affects the poor and fails to address the root causes of Kenya\u2019s economic challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fight is far from over,\u201d said Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga. \u201cWe will continue to mobilize and stand with the people of Kenya to ensure that their voices are heard and their interests protected.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the bill\u2019s passage in the second reading, the government and opposition are set for further confrontations both in the legislature and on the streets, as the debate over Kenya\u2019s fiscal future intensifies.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya June 20 \u2013 The controversial Finance Bill 2024 passed the second reading in the National Assembly Thursday amid violent street protests in Nairobi and other major towns. The Bill sailed through with 204 votes in favour and 115 against in what has angered Kenyans across the country, mainly the routh who have been […]<\/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-55701","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\/55701","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=55701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55701\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}