MP Ndindi Nyoro suspended from Parliament over BBI comments

Members of the National Assembly have voted to suspend Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro from Parliament for four sittings after calling his colleagues sellouts, traitors and cowards for voting in support on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill on Thursday last week.

This means Mr Nyoro will not be entitled to a salary or allowance for those four sittings, and will not be allowed within the precincts of parliament as stipulated under Standing Order 110. 

“A member who is ordered to withdraw under Standing Order 107 (gross disorderly conduct) or who is suspended from the service of the Assembly under Standing Order 108 shall forfeit all allowances payable during the period of such suspension,” reads Standing Order 110. 

The MP was convicted on his own admission after he told the House that he had used the words to refer to members of the National Assembly, going to the extent of referring to MPs as sycophants and “betrayers of the Kenyan people”.

“I used the words to refer to the people who departed from their conscience and voted using their stomachs, on the basis of fear and at the behest of their political party leaders,” the MP charged, to the chagrin of his colleagues who booed and jeered at his speech.

“If you guide me, I will reveal the names,” he said, as he reached for the breast pocket of his jacket as if to fish out a piece of paper containing the alleged names of MPs.

Breach of House rules

However, he ran into trouble with Speaker Justin Muturi who challenged him to substantiate his claims when naming the alleged MPs who voted using their stomachs.

The Standing Orders provide that a MP can only name a fellow colleague in corruption claims through a substantive motion, so the Speaker rejected the proposal.

“I will not allow you to name any member without a substantive motion. If you do so, you will be in breach of Standing Orders,” he ruled.

Mr Nyoro then took to lecturing the House on his political and democratic values which he described as forthrightness.

Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang accused the MP of injuring the reputation of the House and challenged him to be particular in his message. Nyeri Town MP Wambungu Ngunjiri demanded that the Kiharu MP reveals the identity of the people he was referring to.

Minority Leader John Mbadi encouraged the Kiharu MP to operate within the law and House rules.

“I have no problem with anybody linking to any corruption as long it can be substantiated,” Mr Mbadi said.

Standing Orders provide that once the Speaker finds one guilty, as was the case with Mr Nyoro, any member of the House is at liberty to bring a motion to have the guilty member suspended.

Majority Whip Emanuel Wangwe hastily moved the motion and was seconded by his deputy Maoka Maore.

Since it is his first time, the MP will be suspended for only four sittings. However, if Mr Nyoro commits the same offense again, he will be suspended for eight sittings and if he repeats it a third time, he will be suspended for 28 sittings.

“These people are required to be disciplined. This looseness to get cheap political mileage out there should be stopped,” majority leader Amos Kimunya said.

Also accused alongside Mr Nyoro is Nyali MP Mohamed Ali. However, he didn’t attend the sitting on Thursday because he was celebrating Idd-Ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadhan.

He wrote to the Speaker explaining his unavailability but promised to appear on any other date once he is issued with summons.