What You Need to Know
Migori Senator Eddy Oketch was expelled from the Senate chamber following a heated dispute with Speaker Amason Kingi regarding the reintroduction of the Division of Revenue Bill. Oketch protested the bill’s return, arguing that senators had previously agreed it should not be reintroduced without proper briefings on consultations with the Council of Governors. Despite his objections, Speaker Kingi,
Africa-Press – Kenya. Migori Senator Eddy Oketch was on Tuesday ordered to leave the Senate chamber after a heated exchange with Speaker Amason Kingi over the reintroduction of the Division of Revenue Bill.
The drama unfolded during Senate proceedings when Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot rose to move the Division of Revenue Bill, Senate Bill No. 1, triggering protests from a section of senators led by Oketch.
Oketch objected to the Bill being returned to the Order Paper, arguing that senators had earlier agreed it should not be reintroduced before the House was fully briefed on consultations involving the Council of Governors.
“Mr Speaker, the honourable members of this House are very serious elected leaders. We made a determination based on a very dangerous reputational risk to this House on this Bill that Senator Cheruiyot has gotten up to move,” Oketch said.
He insisted that Senate leadership had resolved that the matter should not proceed until concerns surrounding the dispute with governors had been addressed collectively.
“At the very least, if there was even a small respect to this House by that committee or leadership that met, we should have been called as a House before even that matter is put in the business of the House,” he said.
“You cannot ambush us here and bring a Bill, then the Majority Leader is going to explain to us a decision that has been taken that we are not behind and then move the same Bill,” he said.
He called for the Bill to be stepped aside and for senators to be briefed, including through an informal Kamukunji meeting, before debate could proceed.
“This Bill must be stepped aside. We must be briefed even in a Kamukunji on how a decision was made for this Bill to come back into the Order Paper,” he said.
After he concluded, Speaker Kingi directed Majority Leader Cheruiyot to proceed with his explanation, but Oketch continued interrupting from his seat, prompting repeated calls for order.
“Senator Eddy, order. You have made your point. Allow the Majority Leader to explain,” Kingi said.
Cheruiyot defended the decision to reintroduce the Bill, saying Senate leadership had spent the past two weeks consulting and engaging the Council of Governors after senators raised concerns over governors boycotting appearances before the County Public Accounts Committee.
“When we rose last week, we promised the House that as leadership we were going to consult, we would listen to what the Council of Governors said, and after we reached consensus on certain conditions which the House wanted met, we would resume business,” Cheruiyot said.
He said governors had since withdrawn their earlier position and agreed to resume appearances before the committee, clearing the way for the Senate to proceed with the Bill.
“Now that that matter is behind us, Mr Speaker, we can proceed,” he said.
However, Oketch continued protesting.
“Senator Eddy, I gave you opportunity to speak; the explanation has been given. Order! Senator Eddy, leave the chamber immediately. Senator Eddy, leave the chamber, leave the chamber immediately,” Kingi directed.
When the Migori senator did not leave immediately, the Speaker issued a final warning.
“If you don’t leave in the next few seconds, Sergeant-at-Arms escort the member out of the chamber,” he said.
Moments later, Kingi called in the Sergeant-at-Arms to enforce the order.
“Sergeant-at-Arms! Sergeant-at-Arms kindly…” he said.
As the senator exited, Kingi restored order and invited Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to proceed with his remarks.
The Division of Revenue Bill is a crucial piece of legislation in Kenya, determining how revenue is shared between the national and county governments. The bill often sparks intense debates in the Senate, especially when there are concerns about the involvement of governors and the implications for local governance. The tensions surrounding this bill reflect broader issues of accountability and representation within Kenya’s political framework.
Senator Eddy Oketch’s objections highlight the ongoing struggles within the Senate to ensure that all voices are heard before significant legislative decisions are made. The dynamics between the Senate and the Council of Governors are pivotal, as the
