The National Assembly Speaker, Justin Muturi, on Wednesday, January 5, lost his cool and threatened to throw out a lawmaker allied to Deputy President William Ruto from the chambers.
Muturi took charge of the debate after MPs were recalled for the Third Reading of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill 2021 following a request from Majority Leader Amos Kimunya.
The Speaker, who sounded agitated, threatened to kick out nominated MP David Ole Sankok from the House for causing disruption during the submission.
Referencing to December 29 debate on the Bill, the Speaker noted that Sankok had raised an issue with the session Speaker claiming that there was no time to continue discussing the controversial Bill. This, according to Muturi, saw a number of MPs fail to make their contributions during the session.
"Sankok you raised an issue stating that we are approaching midnight. We must restore order in this House. Can I get the Hansard and if it says and if it confirms you raised a global question, you will be kicked out of this House for the balance of the day? You cannot be doing this not the way business is transacted," Muturi ranted amidst shouts from Legislators demanding for the Hansard to be presented to the House for approval.
The fracas and shouting in the House were caused by submissions made by Garissa Town MP, Aden Duale, stating that he did not get an opportunity to table his proposal during the previous sitting.
After push and pull, order was restored in the chambers allowing Duale to present his submission that sought to an amendment to one of the clauses in the Political Parties Bill.
"Clause 8(b) of the Bill be amended in the proposed provision by deleting the word six and substituting, therefore, the word three," the proposal read in part.
In another proposal, the former Majority Leader wanted the Bill amended by deleting some words.
"That Clause 18 of the Bill be amended by deleting the words one hundred and twenty and substituting, therefore, the word ninety."
The return of the sitting will proceed for three days including holding night sessions till the Bill is passed or rejected by the House.
The controversial Bill defines a coalition political party as an alliance that is registered by the Registrar as a political party.
If the Bill becomes law and Azimio La Umoja becomes the coalition party, for instance, the presidential candidate and the running mate will be on the ballot under the outfit and its symbol as opposed to the current arrangement.
Kimunya had earlier castigated Ruto's lieutenants for planning to scuttle the entire session to amend the Bill.
“He is on record that this Bill is being brought here by conmen. I am certainly not a conman, I am the sponsor of the Bill. The President is not a conman. Members of Cabinet, who are his colleagues certainly can’t be conmen. Unless he is admitting that he is a conman,” Kimunya stated during an interview with a local TV on Tuesday, January 4.
He went on to insinuate that the lawmakers opposed to the Bill were doing so to please their political master.
“We also know that they fear that they are being watched, not just by their master, who is on record for opposing the bill, but also by the ground,” added Kimunya.
