The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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More than half of the members of the National Assembly failed to take part in the final vote on the Finance Bill, 2026, raising concerns over their commitment to representing Kenyans during one of the most important legislative processes of the year.
Out of the 349 elected and nominated lawmakers, only 162 participated in the Third Reading vote. Of those, 122 MPs backed the Bill while 40 voted against it.
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The Bill has now been approved by Parliament and will be forwarded to President William Ruto for assent before becoming law.
Support from MPs aligned with the government and the broad-based administration secured the Bill’s passage, with 75.3 per cent of participating legislators voting in favour, compared to 24.7 per cent who opposed it.
The figures reveal that just 46.4 per cent of all MPs took part in the decisive vote, while 187 lawmakers—equivalent to 53.6 per cent of the House—were absent or did not cast a vote.
The Finance Bill was passed after amendments, following the adoption of recommendations by the Finance and National Planning Committee that removed several controversial tax proposals.
The revisions are expected to lower the government’s projected additional revenue collection of KSh120 billion, which had been earmarked to help finance the KSh4.8 trillion budget for the 2026/27 financial year.
Compared to the withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024, which sparked nationwide protests over proposed tax increases, this year’s legislation introduced fewer aggressive tax measures in what appears to be an effort by the government to avoid a repeat of the public backlash witnessed two years ago.
Opposition legislators allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attempted to push for a recorded division vote that would have publicly shown how every MP voted. However, the request was rejected.
Earlier, the Bill had also passed its Second Reading through a voice vote, meaning the public was once again denied a detailed record of individual MPs’ positions.
Political observers believe some lawmakers may have preferred to avoid a recorded vote after the experience of the 2024 Finance Bill, when MPs who supported the legislation faced widespread public criticism, with some reporting attacks on their homes and businesses.
As Parliament concluded weeks of debate and political lobbying over the Bill, many Kenyans questioned why such a significant number of MPs failed to attend the session.
Social media users accused absent legislators of evading accountability on a matter that directly affects taxpayers.
Some argued that failing to appear for the vote amounted to indirectly supporting the Bill.
“Skipping the vote was simply another way of voting yes,” one Kenyan commented online.
The high absenteeism also renewed debate over the size of Parliament, with some citizens calling for a reduction in the number of MPs.
Others questioned whether legislation affecting millions of Kenyans should be approved with participation from less than half of the House, while several commenters argued that lawmakers who failed to vote had effectively endorsed the Bill through their absence.
The debate has intensified public scrutiny of Parliament, with many Kenyans demanding greater accountability from elected leaders on critical national decisions.
