Mwongozo Mpya Party leader Macharia Njeru has accused Parliament of failing to listen to Kenyans during the Finance Bill 2024 debate, saying the refusal to respond to growing public anger contributed to deaths, injuries, abductions and disappearances witnessed during the protests.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Thursday, Njeru said lawmakers had enough warning that opposition to the Bill was growing but chose to continue with the legislative process instead of stopping to engage protesters.
He said the loss of lives could have been avoided if MPs had taken time to hear the concerns of Kenyans and reconsider the proposed tax measures before demonstrations turned violent.
“Look at now, like 2024 during this finance period. You know the blood that was spilled. No, that should never have happened. If only those members of parliament had listened,” Njeru said.
The Finance Bill 2024 was tabled in the National Assembly in May 2024, with the First Reading taking place on May 13. The 65-clause Bill contained several proposed tax and revenue measures aimed at raising domestic revenue and reducing the government's dependence on borrowing.
Among the proposals were a 16 percent Value Added Tax on bread, transportation of sugar, financial services and foreign exchange transactions. The Bill also proposed a 2.5 percent motor vehicle tax.
Several of the measures faced strong public opposition during the public participation process and were later removed before the Bill moved to the next stages in Parliament.
Despite the growing protests, lawmakers proceeded with debate on the legislation. On June 20, 2024, 319 MPs took part in the Second Reading vote, with 204 supporting the Bill and 115 voting against it.
The vote took place as protests organised under the “Occupy Parliament” banner were already underway, having started on June 18.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the demonstrations were initially peaceful but became increasingly chaotic, especially on June 25 when protesters entered Parliament grounds and sections of the complex were set on fire.
The unrest later spread to different parts of Nairobi and other counties as demonstrations continued.
In a report issued on July 1, KNCHR said 39 people had died while 361 others had been injured in connection with the protests across the country.
An earlier report issued on June 20 had recorded demonstrations in 19 counties, with about 200 people injured in Nairobi and Kisumu. More than 105 people had also been arrested at the time.
Njeru questioned why the country had to suffer such a loss of life when Parliament could have stopped the process and opened talks with those opposing the Bill.
“Did we have to lose so many kids? Did people have to die? People got abducted. People died. People were maimed. People got lost. There are people who today now are still missing,” he said.
The protests later forced the government to abandon the proposed legislation. On June 26, President William Ruto announced that he would not sign the Finance Bill and called for it to be withdrawn, saying he had listened to Kenyans.
Ruto also proposed a multi-sectoral engagement involving young people and other stakeholders.
The withdrawal came at a financial cost to the government. The National Treasury later estimated that the decision meant the government would miss out on Sh344.3 billion in additional revenue that had been expected during the 2024/25 financial year.
The shortfall led to expenditure rationalisation and adjustments to the national budget.
Parliament eventually rejected the Finance Bill on July 25, 2024, after agreeing with the President's reservations and deleting all its clauses.
For Njeru, the eventual decision to withdraw the Bill showed that Parliament could have taken a different path much earlier by listening to citizens before the protests reached a deadly point.
“All they needed to do was listen and say, ‘Wait a minute, the way things are moving, let’s take a step back. Let’s review the Bill, engage with the people, and understand why they are complaining,’” he said.
He also accused political leaders of failing to learn from the events of 2024, saying many returned to their previous ways