The Draft Finance Bill 2025 was officially received at the National Assembly on Wednesday, April 30, after the Cabinet passed it during its sitting on Tuesday.
While introducing the bill to Parliament, Speaker Moses Wetangula warned Members of Parliament against misrepresenting the bill to the public.
He urged the members to read the draft finance bill, scrutinise it and understand it before making their views known to the public. They were advised to utilise the upcoming recess to review it.
"I encourage members to actively acquaint themselves with the contents of the estimates and to participate in the exercise and ensure that their views and those of their electorates are taken into account during the consideration of the national budget," he stated.
"Honourable members, I encourage you, when these documents are tabled or bills are published, read them, analyse them, and debate them in this house. Helpless villagers at funerals and public places out there will not help you debate and pass appropriate budgeting processes in this house."
He further recalled seeing the same thing happen before, informing the members that the sight does not appease anyone.
His remarks were backed by Minority Leader Junet Mohammed, who also warned his colleagues of misrepresenting the bill.
The Suna East MP also declared all the other "finance bills" that have been circulating on social media as fake, stating that the real finance bill had arrived in the house.
"The real finance bill has arrived in parliament. If you remember the last two months, there has been a finance bill circulating and people discussing it in public forums, claiming that there is more taxation," he stated.
"We want to urge Kenyans from the floor of this house that the real finance bill is with us now. There should be no misinformation, disinformation, or misrepresentation of the public. The finance bill should be interpreted in accordance with what is written in the finance bill."
This comes just after the Cabinet passed the finance bill during its Tuesday sitting.
According to the segments already available to the public, the new bill seeks to seal loopholes in existing tax measures as opposed to introducing new measures.
