Nominated Senator, Agnes Zani, was on Wednesday, kicked out of the Senate, by Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, for using a Swahili word in reference to him.
The senator, who was making her remarks in Swahili, referred to the speaker as 'mzungumzishi', which sparked debate in the house on whether it was correct.
First to challenge the use of the word was Siaya Senator, James Orengo, who quoted the Swahili version of the Constitution of Kenya, which refers to the speaker as 'spika'.
Other senators joined in the debate, with Kilifi's Stewart Madzayo stating, "Both Zani and I come from the Coast and I respect her as a scholar. She is among the best doctorate degree holders we have but today, after calling you mzungumzishi, I think she is wrong."
Mombasa Senator, Mohammed Faki, in defence of Zani, argued that Swahili was a dynamic and evolving language, whose words are added to its vocabulary very often.
Nominated Senator, Judith Pareno, advised her colleagues to learn the language in private, before speaking on the floor of the house to avoid embarrassing themselves.
"People from the Coast should stop flaunting big words to intimidate us," commented Kakamega Senator, Cleophas Malala.
Speaker Lusaka then ruled that the word Zani had used was not allowed in the Senate until she could prove otherwise.
He directed her to withdraw her comments and ask for time to consult with fellow scholars about the use of the word.
She subsequently refused and the debate went from the word in question to Zani's defiance.
"You are waiting for me to apologise? For using a philosophical word? This is the cross you have put on me in the Senate today? Me? The daughter of Zacharia Zani? A teacher of Swahili and a publisher? I'm sorry but it won't happen," she spoke defiantly.
Other senators ganged up on her and told the speaker that his authority was now being undermined.
Lusaka finally read the Senate's Standing Orders to Senator Zani before proceeding to kick her out of the session.
