Reprieve for MPs in secret Somalia visit

The 11 North Eastern MPs in a secret visit to Somalia will not face any Parliamentary sanctions, Speaker Justin Muturi (pictured) said yesterday.

Muturi said the rule requiring legislator to inform his office when travelling outside the country is a matter of “civility and good order” but not meant to punish the lawmakers.

The Mogadishu visit by the MPs – who reportedly held a meeting with Somalia’s president and intelligence chiefs – raised eyebrows within the diplomatic circles after it emerged that they had not been authorized to represent the country.

“The requirement to notify the Speaker of any intended travel outside Kenya is provided for in the Standing Orders as a matter of civility, good order and to ensure that the Office of the Speaker can, at all times, account for the whereabouts of any Member of this House who is out of the country,” said Muturi in a communication to the House.

MPs Kullow Maalim (Banisa), Ahmed Kolosh (Wajir West), Ibrahim Abdi (Lafey), Rashid Kassim (Wajir East), Mohamed Hire (Lagdera) and Omar Maalim (Mandera East) flew to the war-torn country on Saturday morning.

Others in the trip were Bashir Abdullahi (Mandera North), Adan Haji (Mandera West), Dr Hassan Dahiye (Daadab), Ahmed Bashane (Tarbaj) and Aden Keynan (Eldas).

They were briefly held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by security agencies upon their return on Sunday before being released.

The 11 lawmakers were drawn from Wajir and Mandera counties.