Why Treasury CS Yatani might not present budget on April 7

NAIROBI, Kenya March 24-The proposal by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to present the National Budget statement for the 2022/23 financial year may not materialize after all.

This is after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi cited a court ruling which provides that the budget can only be presented in the House after the Division of Revenue Bill is signed into law.

“The fears have been presented before the House Business Committee and it is clear that unless something happens, anything else being proposed will be in violation of the High Court ruling and we cannot allow the Cabinet Secretary to give budget highlights or table budget estimates before the outcome of the Division of Revenue Bill,” said Muturi.

Muturi made the ruling following concerns raised by Garissa Township MP Aden Duale on the legality and constitutionality of  Yatani reading the budget on April 7 given the ruling of the High Court.

The Bill seeks to provide a framework for the transfer of additional allocations under the Constitution from national government’s share of revenue and from development partners to the county governments.

The High Court in 2020 ruled that the Division of Revenue Bill must be approved by Parliament before the tabling of Budget Estimates and reading of budget speech.

The Division of Revenue Bill, which MPs have approved, is currently stuck at the Senate.

Duale said once the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) has been approved, the next step is approval of the Division of Revenue Bill and County Allocation of Revenue Bill.

Yatani on Monday announced that the budget estimates would be presented to the August House on April 7.