Azimio la Umoja-allied MPs resorted to singing the popular protest song 'Bado mapambano' after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula announced the House results on the Finance Bill, 2023.
"WaKenya msilale, lale, lale, bado mapambano, mapambano, mapambano," they sang in unison.
Wetang'ula said 176 MPs voted to have the Bill sail through the second reading while 81 opposed it.
The Bill now moves to the committee of the whole House where members will have a chance to push through their amendments.
The Committee will consider the Bill clause by clause and take a vote on each of the clauses .
The National Assembly's Finance and National Planning Committee tabled the amended Finance Bill, 2023 after the public gave its views on the document.
There was uproar over certain proposals in the Bill that Kenyans termed punitive.
Some of the proposed levies were revised while others remained unchanged.
The Bill proposes among other things a housing levy on workers’ salaries, increased taxes on fuel and new taxes on beauty products.
President Ruto said the Bill is vital to raise enough revenue in order to fund his administration’s maiden budget of Sh3.6. trillion.
The Kimani Kuria-led committee resolved to retain the 16 per cent VAT on petroleum products which will bring tax on petrol to the same level as kerosene and diesel.
Among key amendments to the Bill is the proposed 15 per cent for Digital Content Creators which has been reviewed to 5 per cent.
The proposed three per cent housing levy has also been reduced to 1.5 per cent in the new amendments.
