Chaos marred a special Parliamentary sitting on the contentious Security Bill on Thursday morning forcing National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to call for a 30-minute adjournment.
The session that had been convened to vote on the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 introduced in Parliament by the Executive turned chaotic when opposition MPs started chanting in the plenary rendering the process impossible.
The MPs tore up order papers on the amendments and littered the floor while chanting “Bado Mapambano”(the struggle continues)song, as deputy speaker Joyce Laboso tried in vain to direct the vote.
The TV cameras in the parliament showed the disarray going on which resulted to some Honorable members remaining with torn shirts and trousers because of the fracas.
The opposition wanted to stop the debate on the Security Bill which they termed draconian and regressive to democracy; while the ruling party (Jubilee) said that the bill was special and genuine and thus, needed a discussion.
Earlier one of the Mps (Ababu Namwamba) from the opposition side, made allegations of intimidation by the executive arm of the government, following the presence of the heavy security agents outside Parliament. "We must condemn in the strongest terms possible attempts by any authority outside this House to intimidate or control the outcome of this debate," he said.
The speaker of the Assembly Muturi implored the Sergeant-at-Arms to take note of the members who were ‘misbehaving’ so that appropriate action could be taken against them.
SOURCE: Kenyan Media and News Agency