Fact checking: How Kakamega Woman Rep voted on the Finance Bill 2023
In an undated video from an event held in Kakamega County, Women Representative Elsie Busihile Muhanda asked her congregant how they wanted her to vote on the Finance Bill 2023.
“My people from Malava, how are you advising me? When I go there (to Parliament), do I oppose or support? How many of you are saying I should oppose? Thank you,” said Honorable Muhanda.
The electorate unanimously and vehemently told her to oppose the Finance Bill.
On June 14, 2023, Honorable Muhanda proved her loyalty to her constituents by voting no on the Finance Bill 2023.
“I Elsie Muhanda, I vote no,” energetically said Honorable Muhanda.
This comes as confirmation of her actual vote after a video went viral on social media showing Ms Muhanda receiving instructions from her voters and then allegedly voting otherwise on the Bill by abstaining. This was to play on the stereotype that politicians will always tell the electorate what they want to hear and then do what individually benefits them instead of their constituents.
Members of Parliament had to vote on the Finance Bill after the opposition rejected the results of the acclamation vote announced by Speaker Moses Wetangula. Once Honorable Muhanda’s name was called by a Clerk for her to either vote yes, no or abstain, she was nowhere to be seen; and was marked as absent.
At the end of the day, 176 Parliamentarians voted for the Bill while 81 opposed. Seven Parliamentarians were also absent after being suspended by the Speaker last week for causing fracas in the House. The Bill will now proceed to the Third Reading set to take place next week.
The Finance Bill has been cause for uproar in the country due to the proposed taxes on various goods and services, as well as increasing taxes on others. Top on the list was the increase in Value Added Tax on petroleum products which the Finance Committee allowed for VAT on petroleum products to be increased from 8% to 16% and proposed taxes on beauty products and digitally created content.
Top on the controversial list was the 3% housing levy in which the government wants every Kenyan to contribute 3% of their salaries to provide funds for the construction of affordable housing for over 6.5 million Kenyans. This caused division as Kenyans raised concerns over being forced to get houses when some people already own houses, don’t want houses or providing funds for others to get houses in case they are not allocated a unit. On this, the Finance Committee halved the 3% levy to 1.5%. The government continues to insist that this is not a tax but a savings scheme to buy a house.