A team of lawyers has filed a petition seeking to stop President William Ruto from assenting the controversial Finance Bill, 2024 into law.
In the case, the petitioners argue that there has been “no lawful or effective public participation on the Finance Bill, 2024 which the National Assembly approved on Tuesday amid violent protests in the country.
The lawyers, Kibe Mungai, Ndegwa Njiru, Fanya Mambo Kinuthia, Peter Koira, Lempaa Suiyianka and Mt.Kenya Jurist Association are also challenging the budget-making process for the coming Financial Year arguing that it was unlawful and characterized by “controversy, acrimony and political contestation”.
“On account of the willful refusal, neglect and failure by the Finance CS to comply with Article 221(1) of the Constitution, no lawful or effective public participation on the Finance Bill, 2024 has taken place because the Government is effectively asserting powers to raise additional revenue without a budget authorized by the Constitution,” reads the court documents.
The lawyers note that the Finance CS published the estimates of revenue on 4th June, 2024 after the National Assembly Budget Committee had completed public participation hearing and submitted its report to the National Assembly.
“The budget-making process has been vitiated by the involvement and dictation of the policy preferences and agenda of foreign governments and corporations spearheaded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has taken effective control of Kenya’s National Treasury to the detriment of the sovereignty of the Kenyan people in matters of public finance,” they further add.
The petitioners want the Chief Justice to appoint a five-judge bench to hear the matter of national priority.
