By Peter Ochieng
Members of Parliament (MPs) have passed the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024. It provides statutory authorization for public spending until 30th June, 2024.
The Bill is based on the Supplementary II estimates of expenditure for the financial year 2023/24, and allocates funds for recurrent and development expenses.
According to a despatch from the National Assembly, the Act seeks to authorize the issuance of certain sums of money from the Consolidated Fund and apply it towards the service of the year ending 30th June 2024, and appropriated for certain public services and purposes.
It authorizes the National Treasury to issue a sum of Sh102,305,909,030 billion out of the Consolidated Fund, and apply it towards certain services before the financial year ending date of 30th June, 2024.
“Honourable Speaker, a lot has changed when it comes to our interest rates. Therefore, we have had to revise our Cash Flow Statements (CFS) to reflect the current Dynamics in the interest rate market and the exchange rate Market for our financial obligations both domestically and externally,” declared Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro when substantiating the revision in the estimates.
“Generally speaking, in creating this Supplementary II, we are channeling funds to where the Kenyans are. That is why we have targeted agriculture through fertilizer allocation as well as giving money to the education sector, and the security sector which is the core of any government administration,” he added.
The Bill underwent first reading, second reading, committee of the whole house, and third reading sequentially.
This, is after the House unanimously passed Nyoro’s motion to reduce the publication period from seven to one day, in line with Standing Order 120 of the National Assembly.
During the third reading of the Bill, Tharaka MP and the Chairperson of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, George Murugara emphasized that Parliament was capable and ready to fulfill its key duties of representation, budgeting, and oversight.
“As the government moves to execute what we have allocated to them, we as Parliament will be there to ensure that there is prudent utilization of public Funds,” he added.
Seme MP James Nyikal called on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’S) allocated funds to ensure that they utilize the said funds fully, or else they be sanctioned by Parliament.