We will call mass action if controversial Bill is passed, Raila warns Ruto
Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday warned the Kenya Kwanza government to brace for a resounding defeat of the controversial Finance Bill, 2023 once it is tabled in the National Assembly tomorrow.
Raila, who spoke in Busia and Kisumu ahead of an epic week which will see the bill tabled in parliament and the budget read on Thursday said Azimio MPs are under firm instructions to shoot it down. “We have told our MPs to vote against the Finance Bill. We know that Kenya Kwanza will use hook or crook to push through the Bill,’’ Raila said.
He said he would no longer sit down with the Kenya Kwanza administration to discuss the controversial bill and would instead resort to mass action if MPs fail to shoot it down. “We have reached out to Kenya Kwanza administration, talked to them but they are not listening to us. No more talks again. Let them go and pass the Finance Bill and then we resort to mass action,’’ Raila vowed.
Raila, who spoke in Nyahera, Kisumu West sub county in Kisumu county termed further talks with the government as a waste of time.
He was accompanied by Minority leader in the National Assembly, Opiyo Wandayi, Kisumu Central and West MPs Joshua Oron and Rosa Buyu respectively and a host of Luo elders, select professionals and MCAs.
Legislators bribed
Earlier in Busia county, Raila accused the government of bribing legislators to pass the controversial bill. He regretted that some MPs have been bribed into joining Government and should be called out.
“Parliament has been bought. We will go back to the people because the Constitution states that sovereignty in Kenya rests with the people. The people can either exercise it directly or through elected representatives,” said Raila.
He claimed that MPs have been lured to State House in the name of advancing development agenda but they have all been bribed into supporting programmes that the government initiates.
Raila said the constitution has vested budgeting powers on Parliament and not at State House.
“If the elected representatives have been bought, then we go back to the people to exercise direct democracy. The people’s voices must be respected. The people spoke through the ballot and voted correctly,” he said.
Raila reiterated that a whistle blower has come out and correctly exposed how the people voted. According to Raila, the whistle blower has correctly revealed that President William Ruto garnered 5.9 million votes in the last elections while he got 8.1 votes and if still do not believe this is true, they should open the servers.
