By Peter Ochieng
Comedian Eric Omondi on Tuesday led over 100 mama mbogas in a protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
The group was demonstrating outside Parliament, before police moved in and dispersed them, with unconfirmed reports indicating that the vocal comedian was arrested.
They left behind a dirty street, as they threw cababges on the road. “Mama Mboga Revolution,” “Wabunge Wasaliti (MPs are traitiors),” and “No to Finance Bill”placards dotted the demos.
Demos came as Members of Parliament resumed sittings after a three week recess.
Top on the agenda for the legislators is to consider the Division of Revenue Bill, 2024, which details the formulae for sharable revenue to counties and the Finance Bill 2024.
The Finance Bill, 2024 like the Finance Bill, 2023 before it, has been a subject of public debate and opposition over proposed strategies to raise revenue.
Kenyans have voiced concerns about theBill, which they say will make life unbearable.
Some leaders both in the opposition and government, have called for the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, warning that it could lead to a revolution due to the proposed taxes.
“We are courting a revolution. You cannot tax a payslip to the skin. I will vote against it totally; I will not even pick and choose,” Ugenya MP David Ochieng said on Tuesday morning while appearing on Citizen TV’s Day Break show.
On the Division of Revenue Bill, the mediation committee comprising of members of the Senate and the National assembly reached a consensus to allocate Sh400 billion shillings in the financial year 2024/2025, an increase of 9 billion shillings from 391 billion shillings allocated in the 2023/2024 financial year.
The County Boundaries Bill passed by the Senate on delimitation of boundaries, is also scheduled to be introduced in Parliament.
It seeks to establish a framework for resolving county boundary disputes.
Legislators are also charged with considering reports from various committees, among them reports on the National Government Constituencies Development Fund NG-CDF, for constituencies and the Financial Statements of specified state corporations.