Assembly pushes to pass bills before holiday break

By PATRICK BEJA

MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA: The Mombasa County Assembly has passed four bills in record time and planned to clear a backlog of three others.

On Monday evening the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) approved the Finance Bill, Rating Bill, Revenue Administration Bill and Trade Licence Bill through acclamation at a single sitting in less than 15 minutes.

The assembly has been running behind schedule due to the recently ended boycott by members over salaries.

Significantly, only the chairman of the Finance Committee Mohamed Hatim moved the Finance Bill and called for the vote to approve it. This was done and Speaker Thaddeus Rajwayi ruled that the Finance Bill had “been approved together with the other bills”.

Only one member tried to object to the Speaker’s declaration saying he had issues regarding a proposal to raise rent for county houses but he was overruled on a technicality.

Changamwe MCA Jimmy Odari contested the Finance Bill arguing that tenants should be heard before it was passed because it raised house rents by about 300 per cent but he lost the move.

make amendments

“I have tried at all levels to bring amendments to the Bill but I have been frustrated. I want the people to be heard on this Bill,” Odari said.

Earlier, Deputy Speaker Mswabah Rashid and Hatim declared Odari and others seeking amendments were time barred since they failed to petition the assembly in writing within required time.

“The Finance Bill has been circulation for two months when you had a chance to make amendments,” Mr Rashid said.

The bills brought before the assembly this year were the Finance Bill, Revised Budget and Appropriation Bill, Rating Bill, Revenue Administration Bill, Trade License Bill, among others.