MILLIONS of public servants including MPs and judges may go without salaries in the coming months if the controversy over the reading of the budget is not sorted out by Tuesday. 
Several projects funded by the government may also stall because of the tussle.
MPs have insisted that the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta cannot read the budget in Parliament on Wednesday as planned.
Finance secretary Mutua Kilaka was sent away by the budget committee yesterday after he responded to the team’s summons without the budget estimates. The committee chaired by Maragwa MP Elias Mbau warned that the country is staring at a national crisis as a result of the “artificial hitch being constructed by the Treasury”. “We are in a situation where public servants including MPs may go unpaid for months and state-funded projects abandoned if this matter persists,” he said.
Mbau’s committee has already received estimates from the Judiciary while those of the National Assembly have already been tabled before the House by the Parliamentary Service Commission.
According to the committee, the Treasury has ignored previous official requests to table budget estimates. “We insist that the law is clear that this committee shall be the navigator through which the Treasury shall ride in communicating the budget estimates to Kenyans,” Mbau said adding that members of his committee will be meeting on Tuesday to find out whether Uhuru will have complied.
Later Gichugu MP Martha Karua told Speaker Kenneth Marande to guide the House on the issue. “Mr Speaker we are seeking your guidance on this momentous matter so that we may ensure that we follow the constitution,” he said.
Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara told the House that MPs must find a way of “blocking the Finance minister from breaking the law”. “He went ahead and published something to the effect that he wants to come here (parliament) and read the budget,” Imanyara said.
Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohamed said article 221 is clear and warned it is illegal for anyone to attempt to read the budget in the House.
He said estimates should be tabled before the budget committee who should table them as committee reports. “We must comply with the law as it is,” he said.
Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba said the pomp and colour that always accompany reading of the budget should not be allowed. Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo and his Transport counterpart Amos Kimunya supported the reading of the budget claiming there is a constitutional waiver allowing the Finance minister to act under the old constitution. “My position is that this House should allow the minister to read the budget,” Mutula said.
Nominated MP George Nyamweya said not reading the budget will be a failure on the part of Kenya is so far as certain East African Community treaties are concerned.
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