Finance Bill has been weaponised for politics – Ngunyi

As the debate on the controversial Finance Bill gets murkier, political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi now believes the bill has been hijacked, seemingly by the Opposition, for political mileage.

The pundit, however, believes the Bill will sail through on the floor of the House despite the heightened opposition against its passage.

"The Finance Bill has been weaponised for politics. And my hunch is that it will pass," Ngunyi said.

The Bill will be tabled for its second reading on Thursday. 

The Opposition Azimio la Umoja coalition under Raila Odinga's leadership has instructed its MPs to shoot down the Bill saying it seeks to overburden an already struggling populace with more taxes.

With increasing opposition to the Bill among the public, trade unions, employers and manufacturers, some MPs find themselves in a very tight spot over which way to vote.

Both Raila and President William Ruto have advocated for an open system of voting to be able to see who among their lieutenants in the House does not have the interests of the electorate at heart.

"We shall give our supporters direction on the Finance Bill 2023 on Thursday this week. But our position remains clear that our Members of the National Assembly should oppose this bill when it is brought on the floor of the House for the second reading,” Raila said during a press conference on Tuesday.

The remarks followed a veiled threat to MPs by Ruto on Sunday during the homecoming ceremony of Agriculture CS Soipan Tuya in Narok.

"I'm waiting for the Members of Parliament who will go and vote against the employment of these young people, against housing that would give these people the chance to own a house with five per cent mortgage," Ruto said.

As such, some MPs are torn between listening to the voice of their constituents who will bear the greatest economic pain upon enactment of the Bill and toeing the line their party leaders have unequivocally pronounced themselves on. 

But Ngunyi told the President to take a bold stand on the Bill and ignore public opinion, regardless of its popularity. 

"Ruto should go for bold decisions. Not popular decisions," he said.

He followed up the advice with a Twitter poll in which he sought the public's opinion on which way they want their parliamentary representative to vote.