President William Ruto has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the Finance Bill 2024.
Speaking Thursday during the Garissa University graduation ceremony, the President said passage of the bill would secure jobs for JSS intern teachers and doctors.
He regretted that the employment of teachers on permanent and pensionable terms and the hiring of an additional 20,000 others would be deferred should the bill be rejected.
”MPs should pass the finance bill to secure jobs for intern teachers, fund HELB and School feeding” said the President.
Debate on the Bill is currently underway in Parliament ahead of the voting which is expected to take place from 3.30 pm even as mass protests continue in various parts of the country.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u has warned that it will resort to instituting budget cuts in several areas should Members of Parliament choose to exact changes to the Finance Bill 2024 as initially drafted.
“If the revenue raising measures contained in the Finance Bill 2024 are not approved by the National Assembly, there will be a likely revenue shortfall of approximately KSh.200 billion,” Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u said in a letter to NA.
State departments and key programmes are set to face significant budget cuts.
Allocation for the Higher Education Board (HELB) and the school feeding programme which is a lifeline to many school children countrywide will be reduced by Ksh3.2B and Ksh1.8B respectively.
Proposed budget cuts (below) if the bill doesn’t pass.
