Sifuna Banned: Excluded from Parliament!
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi prohibited Senator Edwin Sifuna of Nairobi from entering Parliament for three days due to what he deemed to be extreme disorderliness.
During a previous session, Sifuna was accused of impeding the speaker’s procession, which included Nominated Senator Veronica Maina, a member of the Speaker’s Panel, the Sergeant-at-Arms, the clerk, and a police officer from the Parliament Police Station. The senator allegedly shouted “Shame!” at them.
During his judgment, Kingi deemed Sifuna’s actions to be out of order and disruptive to the parliamentary proceedings. As a result, he was banned from the Senate chambers for three days.
“I have determined that Sifuna’s actions in shouting at the speaker’s procession constituted a disruption or an attempt to disrupt the speaker’s procession and constitute gross misconduct by Standing Order 122 1(a),” Kingi instructed.
The decision prohibits Sifuna from entering Parliament offices, committee rooms, lobbies, and dining rooms.
Speaker Kingi remarked, however, that because Sifuna was a first-time offender, he merited leniency, hence the three-day suspension.
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However, he indicated that if Sifuna is found guilty a second time, he will be suspended for 7 to 21 sitting days.
Kingi added, “I also order the Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure compliance with the directive for the duration specified.”
The Speaker issued a warning to all other senators, advising them to maintain decorum during house proceedings; if they fail to do so, he will take severe action against any violators.
According to Standing Orders 122 (1), a senator will be ruled out of order if he violates a set of nine laws, including refusing to retract the use of unparliamentary language, failing to declare a personal interest in a matter before the Senate, and persistently making serious allegations without sufficient evidence.
Other violations include providing intentionally false information to the Senate, voting more than once during a proceeding, failing to maintain decorum during vote division, demonstrating or making disruptive remarks against the suspension of a named senator, and causing disorder during an address by the president or a visiting dignitary.
Sifuna Banned: Excluded from Parliament!
