The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Finance Bill 2026 after 122 Members of Parliament voted in support of the controversial legislation, clearing the way for it to be sent to President William Ruto for assent.
The Bill was approved during its Third Reading with 122 MPs voting “Yes” against 40 who voted “No”. There were no abstentions.
According to the official tally, 103 MPs voted electronically in support of the Bill while 19 cast manual votes due to technical challenges. On the opposing side, 36 legislators voted electronically against the Bill while four voted manually.
The passage of the Finance Bill 2026 is a major victory for the Kenya Kwanza administration, which has defended the proposed tax and revenue measures as necessary to fund government programmes and bridge the budget deficit.
However, the vote has ignited fresh debate over parliamentary attendance after it emerged that only 162 out of 349 MPs were present to participate in one of the most consequential votes of the year.
The low turnout means that more than half of the National Assembly was absent during deliberations on legislation that will directly affect taxation, government spending and the country’s economic direction.
The Finance Bill now heads to President William Ruto’s desk for assent. Once signed into law, it will usher in a new set of tax and revenue measures for the 2026/27 financial year.
The vote comes nearly two years after nationwide protests rocked the country over the Finance Bill 2024, making the latest legislation one of the most closely watched Bills in recent parliamentary history.
As Kenyans await the President’s decision, attention has already shifted to the implications of the new tax measures and the growing questions surrounding lawmakers’ attendance during critical parliamentary business.
