Nairobi MCAs risk facing disciplinary actions if found recording live broadcasting proceedings of the County Assembly .
This comes after Imara Daima MCA Kennedy Obuya is set to be investigated by the assembly’s Powers and Privileges Committee for streaming live on Facebook proceedings of the assembly.
Speaker of the county assembly Beatrice Elachi accused Obuya of violating assembly rules by streaming live on Facebook the assembly’s plenary proceedings on June 2, 2020.
In the Speaker’s communication, Elachi noted that the legislator’s conduct was in contravention of the provisions of the assembly’s Standing Order 235.
The Standing order only allows for the broadcasting of House proceedings subject to the rules set out in the First Schedule to the Standing Orders.
“I must at this juncture, Hon Members, single out Hon Kennedy Obuya, the Member for Imara Daima, for streaming live on Facebook the proceedings of this house of 2nd June 2020 without obviously adhering to the provisions of this Standing Order.
“The powers and Privileges Committee should investigate this matter.”
The speaker noted that the First Schedule rule No.6 highlighted that no camera or other recording or broadcasting equipment shall be allowed in the Assembly without authorisation.
Elachi also noted that as much as rules had been put in place to protect the dignity of the house, some legislators were deliberately breaching them.
“I must emphasise that it is not meant to gag anybody. Indeed, live broadcasting has its known challenges including raising emotions out there or even threatening the privileges that this House enjoys,” she said.
At the moment, the assembly is on a two week recess and will resume its plenary sittings on July 21, 2020.
