Speaker Muturi orders second vote on fuel tax after ICT hitch

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has ordered a second round of voting after detecting an anomaly in the ICT system which powers the voting process.

Speaker Muturi suspended the house for 15 minutes to allow the ICT department to rectify the anomaly.

He had noticed the screen in the house indicating that there were 352 MPs while there are only 349 MPs.

The first round was characterized by chaos when the chair of the session claimed that the Ayes had won through a vote of acclamation, a declaration that was vehemently rejected by those in opposition.

MPs were voting on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposal to introduce an 8% VAT on petroleum products and other taxes introduced by the head of state in his memorandum to parliament.

Those opposed to the introduction of the VAT claimed that the vote was rigged forcing the chair to call for a physical vote.

Shortly after the chair’s call, some MPs left leaving only 215 legislators in the chamber meaning that the house could not go to a vote as there was no quorum.

National Assembly Standing Orders require two thirds of the house to be present for voting to proceed which is 233 members.

MPs opposed to the bill accused Majority Leader Aden Duale and Minority Leader John Mbadi of conspiring to defeat the interests of Kenyans.

The MPs could be heard calling Mr. Mbadi Msaliti which loosely translates to a traitor.

In order to quell the chaotic session, Speaker Muturi had address the claims of the livid MPs who be heard chanting that, “Muturi must go,” before changing tune to “Muturi for president” after he offered them a chance to air their grievances.

“When we began, the chair had ascertained that we were more than 234 in the house and so after the voice call and the voting was done, Hon. Duale led a drove of people out of the chamber,” said a visibly irked Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang.

“Mbadi and Duale ensured that voting did not take place,” said Nyali MP Mohammed Ali.