Wambugu Warns MPs Against Blind Support for Finance Bill 2025, Cites Risk of Public Backlash

By Juliet Jerotich

Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has cautioned Members of Parliament against rubber-stamping the 2025 Finance Bill without meaningful engagement with the public, warning that such a move could spark widespread rejection similar to the backlash witnessed in 2024.

Speaking during a live television interview on Thursday, Wambugu emphasized the importance of public participation and accountability in the legislative process, especially when it comes to laws that directly impact Kenyans’ livelihoods.

“Members of Parliament have a duty to engage openly with the public about the Finance Bill of 2025,” he said. “If they repeat the mistakes of last year by simply supporting the government’s stance without proper explanation and consultation, it will provoke widespread dissatisfaction. The public has already demonstrated how they can reject a Finance Bill.”

Wambugu stressed that lawmakers must critically examine the bill and effectively communicate its provisions to the people. He urged MPs to act as a bridge between the government and the public, rather than as political surrogates.

The former legislator also criticized the recent arrest of Rose Njeri, a software developer who created an app to facilitate citizen feedback on the Finance Bill. The app reportedly directed public input to the Clerk of the National Assembly, offering an accessible platform for civic engagement.

Wambugu condemned the arrest as “undemocratic and unnecessary,” accusing the authorities of acting out of fear that the app could expose sensitive information or offer interpretations of the bill that are politically inconvenient.

“Njeri is exercising her democratic right as a Kenyan. She has the freedom to analyze the Finance Bill and express her views. Arresting her for doing so is unacceptable,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion warned against dismissing the entire Finance Bill without due process, arguing that such a reaction would be “disastrous” for Kenya’s fiscal planning. He called for constructive criticism and engagement with the bill’s provisions to strike a balance between economic stability and citizen welfare.

On its part, the government has sought to calm public anxiety. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has assured Kenyans that the Finance Bill 2025 will not introduce any new taxes. However, civil society groups have raised alarm over proposals to remove zero-rating on critical items such as solar panels, animal feed inputs, electric vehicles, and electric bicycles.

Activists warn that eliminating these tax exemptions could significantly increase the cost of food, energy, and essential medicines, disproportionately affecting low-income households.

As debate over the Finance Bill 2025 intensifies, MPs face growing pressure to demonstrate transparency and independence in the legislative process — or risk triggering yet another wave of public protest.