Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah was on Thursday kicked out of the Senate and suspended for three sittings after a heated exchange with Speaker Amason Kingi over his description of President William Ruto’s recent roadside declaration as “yapping”.
The clash came , when Omtatah appeared before the House to respond to an order requiring him to withdraw the remark. While the senator said he was prepared to withdraw it as a sign of respect for the Senate, he used his response to argue that the word was not against parliamentary language.
"I rise to address this House on the requirement you have placed upon me to withdraw my statement regarding the President's recent roadside declaration," Omtatah said.
"I wish to do so not out of defiance but out of a deep respect for this House, its procedures and the integrity of our parliamentary language."
Omtatah argued that parliamentary practice in Westminster, which he called the "mother of all parliaments", backed his position.
He went on to explain the remark that had landed him in trouble, saying: "The statement in question was my observation that the President was yapping when he made a roadside declaration ordering an institution to be documented...," he said.
The explanation did not sit well with Kingi, who interrupted the senator as he continued making his case.
"Mr Speaker, sir, don't dance on a slippery slope. I'm answering your order, Mr Speaker, sir," Omtatah responded.
He maintained that "yapping is not unparliamentary" and urged the Speaker to look at records of proceedings in the Westminster Parliament.
Kingi then brought the exchange to an end by ordering Omtatah to leave the chamber for three consecutive sitting days.
"I order you to leave the chamber for three sitting days consecutively. You may leave now," the Speaker said.
Omtatah nevertheless continued attempting to speak, prompting a stronger warning from Kingi. The Speaker said he could call in the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the order, which he warned would result in a longer suspension.
"Don't make me direct the sergeant-at-arms to come for you because then that will amount to 90 days," Kingi said.
Kingi repeated his instruction for Omtatah to leave and called on senators to maintain order in the chamber.
"Let's observe decorum. Kindly leave the chamber," he said.
The Speaker also rejected Omtatah’s argument based on Westminster parliamentary practice, saying the Senate was bound by Kenya’s own rules rather than those of another Parliament.
"We are not in the Westminster Parliament. This is the Kenyan Parliament with its Standing Orders," Kingi said.
As the standoff continued, Omtatah’s microphone was switched off while he attempted to proceed with his remarks.
Kingi eventually instructed the sergeant-at-arms to escort the senator out of the chamber.
"Sergeant-at-arms, kindly get the honourable senator out of the chamber," the Speaker ordered.
The Speaker then said he would not allow any points of order to be raised until Omtatah had left the House, effectively ending the confrontation and enforcing the three-sitting suspension.