Controversial Bills Approved by Parliament in 2023
Controversial Bills Approved by Parliament in 2023
Controversial Bills Approved by Parliament in 2023
President William Ruto has approved a number of bills that have caused controversy among Kenyans since he came to office.The fact that the majority of Kenyans, regardless of their political inclinations, believed the government had resorted to enacting punishing policies was one of the reasons why Azimio’s anti-government protests gained momentum earlier in the year.
The Kenya Kwanza government and President William Ruto have been at pains to explain the rationale behind introducing these policies, even as Kenyans continue to feel backed against the wall.
Here are the three crucial and most controversial bills signed into law by President Ruto.
The Finance Bill
In June 2023, President William Ruto signed the controversial Finance Bill into law at State House following its passage by the National Assembly.
Kenya Kwanza and MPs aligned with the opposition engaged in a contentious dispute over several of the Bill’s recommendations before it was passed.About 88 MPs primarily linked with Azimio opposed the bill, while 184 MPs primarily affiliated with the Kenya Kwanza coalition backed it.The National Assembly accepted 87 of the requested revisions to the Bill.The Housing Levy, which was originally intended to be 3 percent but was eventually changed to 1.5 percent, was one of the controversial changes made to the bill.
Other proposals in the bill included a tax for digital creators charged at 5 per cent and the Betting and Insurance withholding tax, charged at 12.5 per cent and 16 per cent.
Privatisation Bill
At the State House on October 9, President William Ruto gave his assent to the Privatization Bill. The Privatization Act 2005, which was passed prior to the present constitution taking effect, was repealed by the bill.
The measure, supported by Kimani Ichung’wah, the majority leader of the National Assembly, included an updated regulatory framework for the privatization of public non-profit government institutions.The measure aimed to improve the delivery of public services by involving private capital and expertise to create additional money for the government. It also sought to increase the private sector’s engagement in economic production.
Azimio la Umoja, led by leader Raila Odinga, took a swipe at the government protesting against the plan to privatise 11 parastatals, including Kenya Pipeline and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
Social Health Fund
A crucial step toward supporting his Universal Health Coverage goal, President William Ruto signed the Universal Health Care Bill in October. The National Assembly ratified four bills in the legislative package: the Social Health Insurance Bill, the Digital Health Bill, the Primary Healthcare Bill, and the Facility Improvement Financing Bill.
A key component of this reform is the Social Health Insurance Bill, which aims to disband the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and replace it with the Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, and Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund.
Concurrently, the Facility Improvement Financing Bill aims to establish measures to guarantee that money made in public health facilities is used only for medically related reasons. Additionally, the legislation aims to strengthen the Community Health Promoters’ role in providing primary healthcare services that are centered in the community. Opposition to the proposed law has been expressed, especially by medical professionals and those working in the formal sector. The proposed law calls for a 2.75 percent mandatory monthly payment to be deducted from Kenyan employees’ pay, with a Ksh 300 minimum and Ksh 5,000 maximum cap.
