NAIROBI, Kenya – June 17, 2026 – As the legislative process for the Finance Bill 2026 intensifies, National Assembly Finance Committee Chairperson Kuria Kimani has launched a robust defense of the government’s proposed fiscal measures. Speaking from the precincts of Parliament on Wednesday evening, Kimani addressed mounting public anxiety, characterizing the legislation as the result of a transparent and inclusive democratic process. He dismissed the growing wave of criticism as a product of political misinformation, urging Kenyans to look past the rhetoric and engage directly with the bill’s contents.
Central to Kimani’s remarks was the emphasis on the scale of public engagement orchestrated by his committee. Describing the process as unprecedented, he noted that the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning had processed an overwhelming response from the citizenry, receiving over 100,000 individual memoranda. Kimani took pride in the committee’s commitment to administrative transparency, revealing that each submission had been meticulously reviewed and provided with a formal, individual reply detailing whether their suggestions were adopted, rejected, or earmarked for future legislative consideration.
The Finance Chairperson underscored that the bill has already transitioned through successfully mandated stages, including the second reading, and is now poised for the critical Committee of the Whole House and the subsequent Third Reading. By walking through these procedural milestones, Kimani sought to solidify the legitimacy of the bill, framing it not as a top-down imposition, but as a product molded by the direct input of the Kenyan public. This, he argued, stands in stark contrast to the narratives being pushed by vocal opponents of the administration.
Kimani leveled sharp criticism toward opposition leaders, accusing them of engaging in a campaign of disinformation rather than substantive legislative debate. During his address, he recounted recent parliamentary sessions where he claimed opposition lawmakers were unable to cite specific clauses or provisions within the bill to support their grievances. According to Kimani, the failure of critics to point to concrete sections of the text reveals that the opposition’s primary objective is to peddle propaganda rather than provide meaningful alternatives to the government’s fiscal framework.
Throughout the briefing, the Molo MP struck a tone of frustration regarding how “sideshows and innuendos” have come to dominate the national discourse. He labeled the current political climate as one clouded by misinformation, asserting that the government’s primary struggle is not with the bill itself, but with the narrative surrounding it. Kimani insisted that it is his responsibility, as the chair of the Finance Committee, to clarify the realities of the legislation and counter the inflammatory rhetoric that currently threatens to derail the public’s understanding of the proposed tax measures.
As the nation waits for the final vote, Kimani has issued an urgent plea for national calm and objective analysis. He is calling on Kenyans to rely on the official documentation provided by Parliament—specifically the committee’s report and the bill itself—rather than external political commentary. With the government and opposition remaining deeply entrenched in their respective positions, the coming days in the Committee of the Whole House are expected to be highly volatile, serving as the final, high-stakes battleground for the Finance Bill 2026.
