Jubilee MPs lead House to approve Budget estimates.

National Assembly members had earlier informally agreed to delay vote on Budget estimates.

National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Mutava Musyimi ( left), National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich (holding briefcase), his Devolution counterpart Mwangi Kiunjuri (4th right) and some MPs at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on June 8, 2016. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto ordered MPs to pass the Budget estimates.
• Jubilee leaders held a meeting with their MPs in a hotel where they instructed them to put on hold discussions on legality of CDF.

By JOHN NGIRACHU
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By ISAAC ONGIRI
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Jubilee MPs have on Thursday lead the National Assembly to approve Budget estimates, overturning an informal House agreement to delay vote over the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) case.

The ruling coalition MPs were obeying orders from President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto who instructed them to pass the Budget estimates at a meeting on Thursday at the Panafric Hotel in Nairobi.

Sources said the two leaders asked the MPs to approve Budget estimates and “put on hold discussions" on the CDF.

MPs had on Tuesday threatened to scuttle the approval of Budget estimates to protest a case challenging the legality of the constituency fund.

Debate was adjourned for two-and-a-half hours to allow MPs time to discuss the implications of the case against the CDF.

They said the case threatened a fund that had helped bring development projects to the grassroots, with some of the MPs shouting “no CDF no Budget”.

(Editing by Joel Muinde)