National Assembly Speaker, Justin Muturi, was forced to prematurely adjourn Parliamentary proceedings after a defiant Embakasi East lawmaker, Babu Owino, refused to leave the chambers causing a standoff.
The Speaker ended the Thursday, April 14 afternoon session citing gross disorder from the controversial Member of Parliament.
Babu Owino was kicked out of the chamber during a chaotic debate on allegations of land grabbing against Deputy President William Ruto brought up by Wajir Woman Representative, Fatuma Gedi.
"Honorable members Standing Order No. 112 provides as follows: That in the event of great disorder arising in the House, the Speaker may adjourn the House forthwith or suspend any sitting for a period to be determined by him/her," the Speaker stated.
Tension started building up after the Speaker repeatedly asked Gedi to table the evidence that she had delivered to Parliament in a suitcase.
Gedi was on Tuesday, April 12, given two days by the Speaker to table evidence after alleging that DP Ruto had been involved in various land grabbing incidents.
After tabling the first document, the debate degenerated into a shouting match with Speaker Muturi having a hard time keeping order in the House.
After a heated confrontation between the Speaker and lawmakers opposed to DP Ruto, some sanity prevailed and the Gedi proceeded to table the second document.
It is after this that her compatriots in the Azimio La Umoja political faction caused another commotion forcing the Speaker to intervene and ask them to take their seats.
A defiant Babu Owino refused to take his sit insisting that he wanted to raise a Point of Order. The Speaker made it clear that he would only allow any other Member of Parliament to speak after Gedi tabled all the evidence she had but Babu could hear none of that.
His defiant nature forced the Speaker to order him out of the Chamber but members of his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) blocked the Sergeant at Arm from throwing him out.
"Honorable Babu Owino I order you out of the chamber. We need mature debate here," ordered Muturi.
The disappointed Speaker, adjourned the plenary to Tuesday, May 10, at 2pm.
