Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah on Tuesday, July 9, lamented that he was being denied the opportunity to contribute to the Senate.
In particular, Omtatah revealed that he had been denied a chance to contribute to the State of the Nation motion that was being discussed on the floor of the House.
The first-term lawmaker explained that this was not the first time he had been sidelined in Parliament.
“I was today denied an opportunity to speak to the State of the Nation motion currently being debated in the Senate about demonstrations in Kenya,” the activist-turned-legislator stated.
He added that since last week Wednesday, he had been requesting the microphone with no success.
The Senators had tabled the motion to discuss the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked many parts of the country.
According to the legislators who contributed to the motion, the demonstrations led majorly by Gen Z started as opposition to the now retracted Finance Bill 2024 and have continued up to date.
Omtatah has been a vocal supporter of Gen Z who have been opposing government policies and calling for a change in the country's top leadership.
Notably, he was the only high-ranking politician to attend a Gen Z concert on Sunday at Uhuru Park which honoured Kenyans who had lost their lives during protests.
Additionally, he has been a main figure at X Spaces where Gen Z and other Kenyans discuss the State of the Nation under President William Ruto’s administration.
Omtatah's claims of being denied a microphone come days after Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya made a similar statement.
The young MP stated that first-term politicians were denied the opportunity to discuss key issues especially when they held a controversial view on the Bill or Motion being debated.
