Kenya: Azimio Senators Stage Walkout in Protest of CS Kuria’s Appearance
Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Senators Thursday stormed out of the morning sitting in protest of Trade Cabinet Moses Kuria plunging the house into a temporary quorum hitch.
The Opposition Senators walked out in protest of appearance of Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria in the plenary before the dispensation of a censure motion against over his attacks on the media.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi prompted the walk out after he gave guidance that the Trade CS cannot be turned away on the basis of a censure motion against him which has not been procedurally filed before the house.
“As far as am concerned am not aware of any motion that Sifuna has submitted. Having not seen this particular motion it cannot be a subject of discussion of the floor today. Even if it was submitted to the office of the Speaker it may be admissible or not admissible,”
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna had sponsored a censure motion to challenge the remarks by the Trade Cabinet Secretary saying his conduct indignities the office of the Cabinet Secretary.
The Nairobi Senator said failure to challenge to reprimand his actions might interfere with media freedom.
“I rise to seek guidance on whether a person who is a subject to a motion of censure that has already been filed before this house can again appear prior to the motion on censure being dispensed,”
“That motion will be prejudiced by the appearance of that person before we have dispensed the matter,” he added.
Sifuna had argued that the Trade CS might take chance to explain and exonerate himself from the accusations against him.
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“We in the minority side are opposing his presence in this house and we seek your direction on whether his presence prior to dispensation of the motion would be prejudicial to the same motion,” he said.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua cited that the question which the embattled CS was supposed to answers touched on the issues raised on censure motion hence he shouldn’t be allowed before house until the motion is dispensed.
“To allow a leader to use the floor of this house to sanitize himself over accusation of abuse and insult is a painful thing. On a matter of principle, we should not allow Moses Kuria to use the floor to sanitize himself,” said Wambua.
Majority Leader Aaron Cheruyoit questioned why the Opposition Senators had decided to be part of the proceeding where CSs appear to answer questions yet they had filed a petition in court to outlaw the proceedings.
“What’s the justification of a person who has not shown interest in any of these proceedings. Kuria is the 10th appearing before the house and they have never shown interest but today they want to stop the rest of us who wants to put the Executive to account,” said Cheruyoit.
Senator Cheruyoit further pointed out that Sifuna censure motion has not gone through the necessary procedure for approval to necessitate CS Kuria being chased away to responds to questions.
“Let’s allow the CS Kuria to answer the question then once the censure motion has gone through the process of approval then we will have an opportunity to naswers to the issue about the media,” said Cheruyoit.
