Kathiani MP Robert Mbui has defended his attempt to reach for the parliamentary mace during a heated session, saying he was forced to act after the Deputy Speaker repeatedly ignored his efforts to raise a point of order on what he believed were unlawful proceedings.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Friday, Mbui said the confrontation began when a supplementary order paper was introduced on Thursday afternoon, adding new business, including the Government-Owned Enterprises Bill, during the Committee of the Whole House.
He explained that many MPs were away attending the funeral of the Isiolo South MP, while others were engaged in party activities, meaning members had not been given adequate time to prepare their amendments.
Mbui said he asked the House leadership to push the bill to the following week.
“I requested that that particular order be stood down to next week, on Tuesday,” Mbui said.
According to the Kathiani MP, the Deputy Speaker did not act on his request and instead proceeded with the bill, prompting him to raise a point of order on quorum.
He claimed that only about 20 MPs were in the chamber, yet the law requires at least 50 members for such decisions to be made.
“At that time, we were a handful. About 20 members were in the House,” he said.
Mbui said he pressed his intervention button, raised his hand and even stood up, but the Deputy Speaker went on with business. He noted that the Speaker cannot pause proceedings unless a member points out the absence of quorum.
“The standing orders do not allow the Speaker to see that there are few people there. It’s got to be a member that draws the attention of the Speaker,” Mbui said.
Several MPs also rose to support him, calling out “There’s no quorum”, but the chair still pushed ahead.
“The solution to no quorum is to stop the proceedings, ring the quorum bell, then give members a chance to come to the House,” he said.
The Government-Owned Enterprises Bill had been tabled through a supplementary order paper during the Committee of the Whole House, prompting immediate resistance from Deputy Minority Whip Robert Mbui, who demanded that the debate be postponed to allow proper discussion.
Opposition MPs quickly raised concerns over the lack of quorum, repeatedly shouting “Point of order! Point of order!” but their protests were ignored.
Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei allowed Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah to read the bill for the third time, proceeding with the debate despite the objections.
Feeling ignored, Mbui said he decided to take a symbolic step to stop the session.
“The mace is a symbol of the authority of the House. When it is sitting where it should, you can proceed with business. If you remove the mace, you can’t proceed with business,” he said.
Mbui said he only attempted to take the mace after all other efforts failed.
“It’s just symbolic. So I made an attempt to remove it from its place so that we could stop this,” he explained.
The attempt led to his immediate suspension, but Mbui insisted that the presiding Speaker acted improperly before he reacted.
“I think her misconduct… even if I’m disorderly because I removed the mace, it was subject to her misconduct in refusing to allow a member to rise on a point of order,” he said.
Mbui said the House continued as if his concerns “did not matter”, even with other MPs standing in support. He maintained that he acted to defend the rules of Parliament, arguing that the proceedings should have been stopped the moment quorum was questioned.
Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei condemned his move and suspended him from the House for five days.
“The reason I am ignoring you is because you are grossly out of order. In fact, you have attempted to grab the mace. I therefore order the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove you from the precincts of the House for five days,” Shollei stated.
Even after Mbui’s removal, the handful of opposition MPs who remained in the chamber continued to challenge the legitimacy of the proceedings, insisting that the House had no quorum. Despite the protests, the bill was seconded by Marakwet East MP Kagongo Bowen, clearing the way for its approval.
The mace’s significance extends beyond its physical form; it represents the legislative power vested in Parliament, which derives its authority from the people. No parliamentary session can commence without it being placed on its designated spot on the central table.
Parliament is tasked with protecting the Constitution, promoting democratic governance, and exercising the legislative authority of the Republic. The mace serves as a tangible reminder of these weighty responsibilities.
The Kenyan Parliament mace is a revered symbol embodying the nation’s democratic ideals and the authority of its legislative branch
