Azimio Picks Sabina Chege's Replacement, Reject Finance Bill

The Azimio Parliamentary Group, on Tuesday, May 30 announced the replacement of Nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Sabina Chege as the National Assembly Minority Deputy Whip and resolved to reject the Finance Bill 2023 completely.

Speaking at the Azimio la Umoja Parliamentary Group meeting, National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi announced Embakasi West Member of Parliament Mark Mwenje as Chege's replacement.

"In furtherance of those resolutions by Jubilee NDC, Azimio has today settled on Hon. Mark Mwenje, MP, Embakasi West, as Deputy Minority Whip of the National Assembly, replacing Nominated MP Hon. Sabina Chege, who has since joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

"We recognize Hon. Mwenje as a committed, consistent, energetic and youthful fighter who has shown the will to stand up for the people and the party. We have no doubt that he will prove equal to the task," Wandayi stated.

At the same time, the Raila Odinga-led coalition demanded that the Kenya Kwanza government withdraws the bill for review.

"We oppose the burden being imposed on working people through reckless measures like house levy, income tax and taxes on per diem. We oppose increased taxes on start-ups and small businesses. We oppose increasing taxes on fuel which will raise the cost of the product by at least Ksh10. 

"Azimio is of the view that this Finance Bill takes us back to the 1980s. It takes us back to the era of cost-sharing in public institutions. It takes us back to the era of Structural Adjustment Programs. It takes us back to the 1980s because the people who were in charge back then, are in charge today," Wandayi noted in a statement sent to newsrooms.

The lawmaker further noted that the coalition had refused to allow the government to overtax Kenyans at a time vices such as corruption and irregular hiring into vital public positions were rampant.

Azimio's PG also took an extremely dim view of the purported arrogance with which the Kenya Kwanza administration allegedly wants to take billions out of the pockets of Kenyans while expecting them to cheer. Kenya Kwanza's position on the Finance Bill as a 'take or leave it' scenario.

The PG also took the position that the budget proposals offer completely no support for working people and upcoming businesses and that for the taxes being levied, Kenyans are getting nothing in return.

"It is our position that in the long history of budget making in this country, never has a regime tasked our people to sacrifice so much by way of taxes for so little by way of gains. We have refused to sit back and watch as Kenyans are being harassed to fix the cash crunch caused by economic mismanagement, wasteful spending, corruption and skewed and incompetent hiring into critical public positions.

"We reject this backward march. We reject the Finance Bill in total. We reject excess taxation to finance wasteful expenditures," Wandayi added.

Bipartisan Talks

Regarding the joint bipartisan talks, the Azimio leaders maintained that the talks remain suspended until Kenya Kwanza agrees to their demands, giving them until midnight on Tuesday, May 30 to comply. Among them are that Kenya Kwanza must agree that all Jubilee MPs who defected, face by-elections in line with the constitution.

"With regard to interference in Jubilee, Kenya Kwanza has indicated a willingness to commit in writing to respect the ruling of the Political Parties Tribunal confirming the Jubilee Party leadership," Wandayi went on.

He added that Kenya Kwanza has offered for the joint co-chairs to write to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel requesting them to halt the process for about 21-30 days.

"To preserve the IEBC's Presidential Election Servers, Kenya Kwanza side has expressed willingness to co-author a letter to the IEBC reminding them of their legal obligation to preserve the Presidential Election Servers and the data contained therein," added Wandayi.

According to Wandayi, Kenya Kwanza asked that the co-chairpersons meet on Wednesday, May 31 to discuss and write the required letters so that the Joint Bipartisan Talks can continue.

Azimio went on to accuse the Kenya Kwanza government of having no offers on lowering the cost of living because they are married to the Finance Bill, adding that the Raila-led coalition has a plan for the Bill.

"The PG has noted the two concessions made by Kenya Kwanza. It is however the view of the PG that those concessions are not good enough to allow us to return to the talks.

"It is also our position that the Finance Bill as presently crafted must be withdrawn and replaced by a Bill that appreciates the suffering the people of Kenya are going through. Indeed, Azimio MPs have resolved to sign a public pledge to oppose the Bill, awaiting its withdrawal," added the statement.

Azimio leader Raila Odinga on May 22, emphasized that if the Kenya Kwanza team was unable to meet their demands, they would call off the talks and resume the nationwide protests.