Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has revealed that four laws which were initially not part of the Finance Bill 2023 were sneaked into the document before President Ruto assented to the Bill on June 26.
In an interview with NTV on Friday, June 30, Omtatah said the Bill initially contained 13 laws passed by Parliament but the document presented to the President for signing contained 17 clauses.
"That is a pedestrian way of making laws and it is not acceptable in Kenya," the senator said.
The senator said the four are laws on the collection of revenue on alcoholic beverages, EPZ Export Processing Authority, Special Economic Zones and Retirement Benefits.
"So, the question is, how did these enter into the Act and we told that the law must be approved in Parliament before the President assents to it? Omtatah posed.
"So, who added these things? Is it the President or the Speaker of the National Assembly when he was taking the Bill to the President for signing?"
The court on June 30 stopped the implementation of the Finance Act.
Lady Justice Mugure Thande in her ruling said she was satisfied that the applications met a threshold for conservatory orders.
"I am satisfied that the application meets the test of conservatory orders and I do grant prayers 2 and 3 of the application until July 5, 2023, when the matter is scheduled for mention for directions," Justice Thande ruled.
Thande further directed that the applications be served upon all parties on the same day and responses filed and served by July 4, 2023.
