National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro has distanced himself from his own words that he manipulated Azimio la Umoja MPs to skip voting on the controversial Finance Bill 2023.
Osoro this week sparked controversy when he admitted to using unethical methods, including bribery, to influence the absence of some Azimio MPs during the parliamentary session.
“I had to look for ways by hook or crook to get it through. I had to manipulate systems; I looked for ways to get the opposition MPs to play to our tune. I conspired with some opposition MPs and got some of them to be absent from the House so that I could get the numbers. Some of them were sponsored to go abroad while others were bribed to feign illness,” Osoro said during a UDA recruitment drive in Kitutu Chache South Constituency according to the Nation.
However, during a speech at Calib secondary school in West Pokot County on Saturday Osoro claimed that he was misquoted.
He stated that he simply invited a few Azimio MPs to share a meal at the parliament’s canteen, specifically mentioning pumpkin soup.
He argued that his words were mistranslated into a symbolic reference to money.
“I am in charge of catering in the catering committee in parliament and I just said that I invited members from the opposition and I put them in the kitchen where our mess hall is and we had pumpkin soup now you went and changed that saying that a bowl of soup translates to money, MPs take soup as well,” he said.
Osoro further asserted that the government did not coerce Azimio MPs, emphasizing that their low turnout affected the bill’s vote. He urged people to refrain from tarnishing the government’s reputation and that of MPs.
The Finance Bill was signed into law by President Ruto on June 26 after receiving approval in the National Assembly.
Some Azimio coalition MPs, including Esther Passaris and Felix Odiwuor (Jalang’o), supported the bill. However, 24 other absent ODM MPs are now facing disciplinary action within the party.
In the meantime, the High Court has extended the conservatory orders, suspending the implementation of the Finance Act 2023, which led to increased fuel prices.
The court granted this extension following petitions filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and Peter Agoro, who argued that the bill was founded on illegality and violated the Constitution.
