NAIROBI, Kenya – The Senate plenary on Tuesday, April 28, descended into drama after Migori Senator Eddy Oketch was ordered out of the chamber by Speaker Amason Kingi following a heated exchange over the Division of Revenue Bill.
The standoff began when Oketch objected to the reintroduction of the Bill into the Order Paper, questioning the process through which it was returned for debate and arguing that Senators had not been adequately briefed before Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot moved it.
“I beg that this Bill should be put aside, we must be briefed even in a kamukunji how a decision was made for this Bill to come back into the order paper, Mr Speaker. Otherwise, we are not going to progress as a House…you cannot explain to us while moving the Bill! We cannot take it! That is disrespect to the House and me,” said Oketch.
As the debate intensified, Cheruiyot accused the Migori Senator of disrupting proceedings during the attempt to advance the Bill, insisting on decorum and mutual respect among members.
“I don’t want to lose my cool, Mr Speaker. I don’t know how to shout back at Senator Eddy…I didn’t complain about the Nairobi Senator because I didn’t hear him say anything, but it is Senator Eddy who is becoming unruly this afternoon and I don’t find that to be fair,” Kericho Senator argued.
“In this House, we respect each other as colleagues and when he rose to speak, I listened to him; I did not necessarily agree with what he was saying but I calmly sat back and listened to him.”
Cheruiyot defended the urgency of the Bill, linking it to ongoing negotiations on county allocations and the need to secure higher funding levels.
“My particular interest in this Bill is seeing the Bill that is proposing Ksh.420 billion when we know we need to push the National Assembly to secure a minimum of Ksh.450 billion for our counties, and that takes time and that is why I want us to begin this process,” he stated.
Speaker Kingi intervened to restore order, directing Oketch to allow the Majority Leader to proceed with his submissions.
“Order, Senator Eddy. You have made your point, allow the Majority Leader to make his,” said Kingi.
However, after repeated interruptions from Oketch, the Speaker escalated the matter and ordered his removal from the chamber.
“Senator Eddy, I gave you an opportunity, and you spoke what you had to speak, the explanation has been given…order!!”
“Senator Eddy leave the Chamber immediately! If you don’t leave in the next few seconds, Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the member out of the Chamber,” ruled Kingi.
In the aftermath, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna weighed in, backing Oketch and calling on Cheruiyot to apologise to Senators for proceeding with the Bill before addressing concerns raised by members.
