Committee raises alarm over pending Bills

By PETER OPIYO

A House committee has warned that some Government operations may stall if pending Budget legislations are not passed before Parliament is dissolved.

The Parliamentary Budget Committee sounded the alarm, saying key Bills that would determine allocation of funds to devolved governments have not been passed.

Committee chairman Elias Mbau said the House Business Committee that prepares the agenda for Parliament must now look into ways of creating more time to enable MPs pass the Bills and other requisite rules.

Parliament has approximately eight days of conducting business before the Christmas break, and Mbau is worried the Bills may not be passed if the period is not extended.

Share funds

He says the Supplementary Budget, which is traditionally presented in Parliament in March, has not been prepared and this may lead to a crisis in Government operations.

The House has also not endorsed the County Allocation of Revenue Bill and the Division of Revenue Bill, two key legislations defining how the 47 counties would share funds.

“We are staring at crisis and the only option is for the HBC to seek for extension of sitting hours so that the matters can be dispensed with,” said Mbau, pointing out that MPs would be busy with nominations in January and would not have time to debate and pass the Bills.

The term of the current Parliament is set to end on January 14.

Also pending is the publication of the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update.

The pre-election update details election-related spending including direct expenses by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

It also captures allocations to police and security forces for the election year and any other expenses related to the elections. 

Pre-poll expenses

“This report should come for debate and adoption by Parliament as soon as practicable because Kenyans need to know the pre-election expenses,” said Mbau.

Another fiscal matter that must be addressed immediately is the adoption of the Budget Policy Statement, which outlines the Government revenue and expenditure projection.

This projection should be presented to Parliament by February 15 by the Treasury after which it is scrutinised by the Budget Committee.