The National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has given National Treasury the go-ahead to table budget estimates for the next financial year on Thursday before House adjourns Thursday.
This now clears Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to present before parliament how the government plans to finance the Kshs. 3.3 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022/23 on Thursday before 3.30 pm.
“I direct the Clerk of the National Assembly to make necessary arrangements in order to facilitate the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning to discharge his duties with respect to the pronouncement of the budget highlights and revenue-raising measures for the FY 2022/2023 in accordance with Section 40 of the Public Management Act, 2012 and Standing Order 224,” said Muturi.
Treasury is ordinarily expected to submit budget estimates to the National Assembly for deliberation not later than April 30th each financial year before pronouncing budget highlights and revenue-raising measures in June.
However, due to the general election slated for August 9, 2022, Treasury has not yet submitted the estimates which Speaker Muturi says will be submitted after the pronouncement by Treasury CS including the Finance Bill 2022 and any other attendant Regulations for consideration by the House.
The National Assembly will take a long recess from April 15 until May 9, 2022, and thereafter take another recess from June 14, 2022.
“With respect to the remaining steps, it shall be the responsibility of the House to consider and pass the estimates, the Appropriations Bill and the Finance Bill well before adjourning sine die in June 2022,” said the Speaker.
By Fred Odanga Azelwa