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Aden Duale locked MPs inside toilet over VAT on fuel - Jubilee MP

Did Duale lock MPs inside the toilet?
National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale
National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale

National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale has been accused of using underhanded methods to frustrate the voting of the 8-percent VAT on petroleum products, during a chaotic Parliamentary sitting on Thursday afternoon.

Speaking in Parliament, Isiolo Women Representative Rehema Dida Jaldesa alleged that Duale locked up some MPs inside the toilet in a bid to ensure that the House did not have the required quorum.

For the Bill to be rejected, 233 members needed to vote against it.

Ms. Jaldesa further claimed that the Garissa Township MP forced other legislators out of the House.

"The Majority leader came and started pushing people to go out and even he locked some people in the toilet," Ms. Jaldesa accused Duale when she was given an opportunity to speak on the floor of the House.

After the chaotic scene in the August House, Duale told journalists that as the Majority leader he used every trick in the books to ensure the Finance Bill 2018 was passed.

Also Read: Why I passed 8-percent VAT on fuel despite the Nos being louder in Parliament - Speaker

"The leader of Majority employs a number of tricks to make sure that the Government agenda is complied with," he said.

On Thursday afternoon, chaos erupted inside Parliament as MPs started the voting process on the tax proposal by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Angry MPs opposing the increased tax started chanting ‘zero’ forcing Minority Leader John Mbadi, who is supporting the tax proposal, to cut short his address.

The shouting and chanting continued with lawmakers turning against majority leader Aden Duale.

"Duale must go," they said.

The Bill was finally passed on on Friday morning President Kenyatta signed it into law.

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