Kenya MPs Push for Extended Budget Review Period After Gen Z Protests

Kenyan lawmakers are deliberating an amendment to the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act that could extend the timeframe for scrutinizing the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) by an additional week.

Introduced by Gladys Boss, the Woman Representative for Uasin Gishu County, the proposal seeks to increase the period for parliamentary review from 14 to 21 days, allowing Members of Parliament (MPs) to thoroughly evaluate the government's strategic priorities and policy objectives outlined in the BPS. This legislative initiative follows robust protests led by Gen-Z activists who, in June 2024, stormed Parliament to voice their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024, criticizing it as detrimental to young citizens.

In response to these demonstrations, there have been notable changes in public participation procedures, including a directive from Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge mandating that public consultations on bills begin at the constituency level to ensure broader inclusivity. Alongside the proposed extension for parliamentary scrutiny, the amendment also addresses key adjustments to budget timelines.

Currently, the National Treasury is mandated to publish the BPS within 15 days after its submission to Parliament. The proposed bill aims to extend this publication timeline to 22 days, enabling the Treasury to consider parliamentary resolutions more effectively before finalizing the budget for the forthcoming financial year. In recent years, debates surrounding the BPS have faced challenges primarily due to tight deadlines.

For example, during the 2022 budget discussions, MPs expressed concerns that the short timeframe limited their capacity for detailed examination. This led to a postponement of the debate for further consultations between Parliament and the National Treasury, particularly after the Budget and Appropriations Committee recommended notable budget cuts.

In a noteworthy policy shift in October 2023, MPs replaced the numeric debt ceiling with a debt anchor set at 55% of GDP, though lingering apprehensions about government spending and rising debt levels remain. The ongoing dialogues between Parliament and the National Treasury highlight the complexities involved in balancing fiscal policy with economic realities.