Sabina Chege injured as 7 MPs suspended after chaos erupt in Parliament

Nominated MP Sabina Chege was injured on Thursday after a fight broke out in the National Assembly during the ruling by Speaker Moses Wetangula in which he retained her as Deputy Minority Whip.

Trouble began after MPs from both sides of the House started hurling insults at each other following the Speaker’s ruling, with the chaos degenerating into a fistfight that led to Sabina Chege allegedly being hit with a bottle.

The speaker was forced to suspend the sitting for 15 minutes to allow emotions to cool down, but even after the sitting resumed, the jeering continued.

In the ensuing melee, Wetangula was forced to suspend 7 MPs for periods ranging two sittings to two weeks.

MPs Millie Odhiambo, Rosa Buyu, Sabina Chege and TJ Kajwang will be out of the House for two weeks, while Fatuma Muyanzi, and Catherine Omanyo were ordered to stay out for 5 days, and Joyce Kamene for two sittings

“The said members among other things defied a ruling of the speaker, made disruptive utterances, used violence against a member of the house and acted in a manner to the serious determent of the dignity of the house,” Wetangula ruled.

“’I am saddened at what happened this afternoon, I have consistently refrained myself from invoking standing orders relating to the discipline of the House,” Wetangula said amid boos and jeers, mainly from the minority side.

However in a quick rejoinder, Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said they will be bringing a motion of no confidence in Speaker Wetangula accusing him of consistently being biased against them.

“Things cannot continue in this manner in this House anymore, and we have decided to bring a motion of impeachment against the person of Moses Wetangula as the speaker, and we expect him to prioritize that motion,” said Wandayi.

“The main issue we have a problem with is that the speaker wants the majority to dictate who will lead the minority, we have made a decision who we want to lead us, it’s not logical and it’s not moral. If I was Sabina I would have resigned, we won’t allow the majority to continue controlling us,” added Deputy Minority Leader Robert Mbui.

Earlier, the speaker had ruled that Chege will continue serving in that position after he was served a court order.

 “I have ruled that you have procedurally followed every step, and I have no difficulty with your decision to remove your deputy whip, but there is a court order that strangely your party and coalition is not party to, I would advise that you seek to be enjoined.

“Even where some certain orders have been adverse to the interest of the house we have dutifully obeyed and sought to set aside the order that we were not in agreement with, from the forgoing my hands are therefore tied with regard to the court order that have been brought to my attention,” The Speaker ruled.

“Until and unless further information is provided that this court order has been varied or set side, the court order effectively suspends the decision by the minority party on the replacement of Sabina Chege as the minority whip,” he added.

The decision drew the ire of the minority MPs who booed and jeered the speaker, a situation that quickly degenerated in fights.