National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has dismissed concerns over President William Ruto’s absence during the presentation of the 2026/27 Budget Statement, insisting that the exercise is exclusively the mandate of Parliament and does not require the Head of State's presence.
Wetang’ula defended the President’s decision to remain on an official visit abroad, saying there is no constitutional, legal or procedural requirement for the President to attend the annual budget presentation by the National Treasury.
Speaking on the floor of the House ahead of the reading of the Budget Statement by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, the Speaker said the budget process belongs to the National Assembly and should not be confused with occasions when the President addresses Parliament.
“The President of the country is under no obligation to attend Parliament on the day when the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury and Planning comes not to read a budget, but to make a statement and give to the country his revenue-raising measures,” Wetang’ula said.
His remarks come as President Ruto continues his State Visit to Finland, where he is holding bilateral talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and participating in economic and diplomatic engagements.
Wetang’ula maintained that the President’s absence should not be interpreted as unusual, arguing that the budget-making process is a parliamentary function overseen by lawmakers.
“Indeed, if the President chose to come, which he can, he will sit in the Speaker’s row. He will not sit where I’m sitting, where he comes to sit to address the nation,” he said.
The Speaker explained that the President only occupies the Speaker’s chair during special joint sittings of Parliament, such as the State of the Nation Address, and not during budget presentations.
“He will not sit where I’m sitting, where he comes to sit to address the House, so there is no such thing as a crisis because the President is out of the country,” Wetang’ula added.
He emphasised that the presentation of the Budget Statement is a preserve of the National Assembly, where the Cabinet Secretary outlines government spending priorities, revenue measures and the broader economic strategy for the coming financial year.
“Budget is a preserve and an activity of the National Assembly exclusively,” he said.
The Speaker’s clarification comes amid public discussion over the President’s absence from Parliament during one of the government's most significant annual policy events.
The 2026/27 Budget Statement is expected to outline spending plans and economic priorities under the theme, “Sustaining the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda for Resilient and Inclusive Growth Amid Global Uncertainty.”
With the President engaged in official duties abroad, Wetang’ula insisted that parliamentary business would proceed uninterrupted, emphasising that the constitutional roles of the Executive and Legislature remain clear.
