- Kingi however noted that it was the first occasion for Sifuna to be found grossly disorderly under Standing Order 122.
- Sifuna’s suspension shall lapse at midnight on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been barred from accessing precincts of Parliament.
Sifuna will not access the offices, committee rooms, lounges and dining halls for three days.
Speaker Amason Kingi found Sifuna guilty of being grossly disorderly.
In his communication to the House, Kingi announced that Sifuna’s suspension shall lapse at midnight on Thursday, July 27.
“I also direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure compliance with the directive for the stated duration,” he said.
At 6:30 p.m. on July 18, 2023, the Speaker interrupted the proceedings and adjourned the Senate pursuant to the Standing Orders.
As is the tradition, the Speaker’s Procession, consisting of the Speaker (who at that time was Nominated Senator Veronica Maina- a Member of the Speaker’s Panel), the Sergeant-at-Arms, the Clerk-at-the-Table and a police officer from the Parliament Police Station, exited the Senate Chamber, on its way to the Speaker’s Office.
On the walkway from the Senate Chamber, just outside the Senate Lounge, Sifuna was heard shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at the Speaker’s Procession.
Kingi noted that Maina later engaged Sifuna on why he was shouting at the Speaker’s Procession.
He however noted that it was the first occasion for Sifuna to be found grossly disorderly under Standing Order 122.
“It is at this point that a verbal altercation between the two Senators ensued. Officers of the Sergeant-at-Arms and several Senators who were in the room intervened ito calm down the two Senators and defuse the engagement, which would have otherwise resulted in an unpleasant physical exchange,” he said.
Kingi said a report on what transpired was submitted to the Office of Speaker of the Senate by the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms.
“Upon interrogating the report, I have made a determination that the actions of Sifuna in shouting as he did at the procession of the Speaker amounted to a disruption or attempt to disrupt the Speaker’s Procession,” he said.
Standing Order 122 (1) highlights the instances in which a Senator displays gross disorderly conduct which include “disrupts or attempts to disrupt the Speaker’s Procession”.
The sanctions for the conduct of such Senator are provided under Standing Order 122 (2) which states that “the Speaker may call a Senator whose conduct is grossly disorderly to order, and shall order the Senator to withdraw immediately from the precincts of Parliament.”