MP Caroli Omondi ejected from House after 'reckless' remarks

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi and MP Peter Kaluma. [File, Standard]  

Suba South legislator Caroli Omondi was on Thursday suspended from the National Assembly for five sitting days for using unacceptable words during a house session.

Omondi, who was suspended by a temporary Speaker, Peter Kaluma, was found guilty of using unparliamentary language after several denials.

Reading the Standing Order to the House, Kaluma noted that members who refuse to retract unparliamentary language or apologise after being directed by the Speaker commits an act of gross disorderly conduct punishable by suspension.

"This being the first time I'm meting out this punishment, I will suspend you from the House for a period of a minimum five days, so that it is a caution to all of us," Kaluma ruled.

This is after a heated exchange in which Omondi questioned the lack of quorum before allegedly telling the Speaker to "stop being stupid."

Kaluma then directed Omondi to leave the precincts of Parliament immediately.

The Suba South MP woes began during the discussion on the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill, after he was recognised to contribute in less than three minutes.

Before his final decision to suspend Omondi, Kaluma had, in several attempts, tried to get Omondi to clarify whether he had uttered the words "stop being stupid.

Omondi denied directing the remarks at either the Speaker or the House

He, however, insisted that he said, "We're not stupid," which he maintained, calling on the Speaker to "get the Hansard."

"I said we are not stupid... I did not say the Speaker or the House. If you want me to withdraw the word 'stupid', I've withdrawn it,” Omondi said.

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah also weighed in, urging the Speaker to verify the Hansard.

“I would like us to go back to the Hansard because the honourable Caroli Omondi indeed did utter those words,” said the Kikuyu MP.

After consulting the officials on record, Kaluma informed the House that Hansard had confirmed that Omondi used the disputed phrase on the floor of the House.