According to Justice Hedwig Ong’udi, the parliament is free to discuss the Finance Bill 2023 and even send it to President William Ruto for enactment.
Senator Okiya Omtatah of Busia had filed a lawsuit in an effort to prevent the house from discussing the bill, and she was responding to that.
Omtatah and four other people had filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop the bill, claiming that 30 of its sections broke the law regarding taxes.
On Monday, Justice Ong’udi certified the petition as urgent and stated that because it raises issues that can be tried, it should be heard first.
She gave Omtatah and his four co-petitioners three days to serve the lawsuit on the attorney general, Justin Muturi, the national treasurer, Njuguna Ndung’u, and the speaker of the national assembly, Moses Wetangula, after which they will have a week to reply.
This development comes after Omtatah publicly warned Ruto that if he did not send the bill back for revision, he would file a lawsuit.
However, Ruto has been adamant about the bill and has refused to change his mind about it in spite of warnings.
His allies have maintained that the only way the government can function going forward is through the additional taxes that have been proposed.
This is despite their assertion that former President Uhuru Kenyatta left them a bankrupt administration.
by: Beehivenews.com