Members of Kenya’s National Assembly have advanced the contentious Finance Bill 2024, despite massive public outrage.
A total of 204 MPs voted in favour of moving the Bill forward while 115 voted against it, and there were no abstentions. The Bill will now proceed to the second reading.
The decision comes after a contentious vote following the Bill’s First Reading, indicating lawmakers’ intention to press forward despite rising resistance from citizens demanding its rejection.
The legislative maneuver, however, does not confer immediate legal status upon the bill. The bill still has two more stages before before becoming law.
It now faces scrutiny in the Committee of the Whole House, where proposed amendments will undergo rigorous evaluation.
