The Senate was on Tuesday morning forced to adjourn a sitting due to a lack of quorum. Lawmakers were set to discuss a raft of issues but most senators were a no-show with hardly any legislator present at the chambers.
This was in stark contrast to sessions last week where politicians discussed the looming impeachment of DP Rigathi Gachagua. Quorum was not an issue at the time.
"The Senate of Kenya morning session has been adjourned due to lack of quorum pursuant to the Senate Standing Order 40 subsection 2," the Senate communicated through its official channels.
The quorum hitch forced the interim speaker for the session, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi to order the quorum bell to be rang for 10 minutes to achieve the quorum for commencement.
The quorum bell is symbolically rung to notify senators who were within the Senate precincts to attend a sitting. Deputy Speaker Murungi seeing the deficit in numbers of Senators, adjourned the sitting and announced that the House would reconvene for the afternoon sitting at 2.30 pm.
Standing Orders of the Senate prescribe that for the House to transact or do any business of the day there has to be a minimum of 15 senators present in the Chamber.
This comes even as the Senate gears up to hear the impeachment case against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17.
The Senate holds the decisive keys on whether Gachagua will remain in office after the National Assembly voted to kick him out last week. The deputy president can, however, be saved by the courts.
Gachagua is facing 11 accusations including; gross violation of the Constitution, insubordination, unlawful acquisition of wealth and threatening national unity through making divisive statements in public.
The Senate may extend the hearings to Friday, October 18, to allow parties additional time to review documents and cross-examine witnesses, should the need arise.
Gachagua has however filed a case in court seeking orders to have the Senate blocked from debating his impeachment.
On Monday, Chief Justice Martha Koome constituted a three-judge bench to hear and determine the petitions filed by the Deputy President.
The High Court is expected to rule on Tuesday at 2:30 PM on whether to suspend the impeachment trial .
