National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has identified Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi as the legislator who recorded a viral video capturing an altercation between nominated MPs Umulkher Harun Mohamed and her UDA counterpart at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Falhada Iman.
The revelation came more than a month after the dramatic incident where the two MPs were embroiled in a scuffle, where they wrestled each other to the ground within Parliament precincts in an incident which led to national outrage.
During National Assembly proceedings on Wednesday, the speaker revealed that a combination of witness accounts and his own investigations pointed to the Tigania East MP as the person responsible for taking the video.
"Witness accounts have identified Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi as the member believed to have made and circulated the video. I personally spoke to the MP, and he claimed that he recorded the video for fun and shared it with a female member, who circulated the video accordingly."
Wetang'ula emphasised the seriousness of such an act, noting that senior members of the House had a greater responsibility to uphold the dignity of Parliament.
As far as sanctions on the MP are concerned, Wetang'ula ordered Aburi to tender an apology before the House. However, since the lawmaker was absent from the session, he will be required to apologise at a later date.
The speaker's decision to let Aburi off the hook with an apology and warning was met with some resistance from fellow lawmakers, including Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, who called for stiffer consequences, arguing that an apology alone was insufficient.
Notably, Wetangula also revealed intentions to sanction the MP who was allegedly sent the video and subsequently disseminated it to the public. Her identity was, however, not revealed.
“That a sitting member of this house recorded and circulated a video of the incident… would attract sanctions under the Standing Orders and Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act,” the speaker went on.
Elsewhere, the speaker also provided updates on the roles of Falhada Iman and Umulkher Harun after a review of submissions from the two MPs.
Following the review, Wetangula concluded that Harun appeared to be the victim in the situation and not the instigator.
“Accordingly, she bears no fault in the matter and I will not prefer any sanctions on her,” he said.
For Falhada Iman, the speaker noted that she caused trouble despite being a guest in parliament. Wetangula insisted Iman had a duty to conduct herself with decorum, given her status as both a former National Assembly member and a sitting EALA representative.
However, since Iman's attack was not premeditated, the speaker invoked Standing Order No. 1 and halved her initial 90-day suspension from Parliament precincts to 45 days.
