Why Kitutu Chache South MP Kibagendi has been expelled from Parliament

 Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi. [File, Standard]

Kitutu Chache South  MP Anthony Kibagendi was yesterday thrown out of the House indefinitely and directed to give an apology, over remarks he made alluding to the fact that the House has been auctioned.

In excluding Kibagendi from the House, Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, said the legislator will, for now, be excluded from the proceedings of the House, precincts of Parliament, and committee sittings, including his office.

Kibagendi made the remarks during an interview yesterday morning on a TV show.

The Speaker dismissed Kibagendi’s remarks, insisting that he has never been influenced by anyone to give any ruling, and should it have been the case, he would not have accepted.

“You will be excluded from the sittings of the House until you bring a properly worded apology, not to me – I’m used to being insulted – but to the House for bringing it in disrepute,” said Wetangula.

The apology is to be delivered to the Clerk, looked at carefully, and if the wording is acceptable, then it will be brought to the House before he is allowed back.

The Speaker likened it to contempt in the face of the court, noting that after listening to Kibagendi’s conversation, he was horrified by the allegation that the House had been auctioned.

“I do not know where the auction ring was and who was holding the hammer, that this House is an appendage, and the Speaker and his Deputy have destroyed this House and many other things he said with a lot of anger. The Speaker of this House does not have a vote, participate in debate, generate debate, or bring any motion to this House,” Wetang’ula said.

“Since I became your Speaker, and I am a God fearing and practicing Christian, nobody has ever called me to tell me what to do or not what to do and if anybody did, I would reject it because you voted for me and I took oath of office to preside over the proceedings without fear, favour, prejudice or ill will and have done so very diligently. I’m human, I could have made a ruling that displeases someone, but they are buttressed by the law. Like any other lawyer, I may have misinterpreted the law, but that is the right I have as your Speaker,” he added.

Wetang’ula said that for Kibagendi, as an MP, to say that the House has been auctioned, he has no business sitting in such a place, hence the exclusion.

The issue was raised by Laikipia North Mp, Sarah Korere, who regretted that Kibagendi had disparaged the House, even as she insisted that an attack on the office of the Speaker is also an attack on the House.

“Kibagendi made remarks to the effect that the Speaker has auctioned the House. These remarks are quite contemplatable, given that the Speaker presides over the House on the principle of impartiality. We seek your guidance, Mr Speaker, if he ought to continue to sit in this House,” Korere said.

Deputy Speaker, Gladys Boss, also regretted the remarks, saying they take great exception to the words used and statements made by Kibagendi.

“He has aged in a disorderly manner; he has cast aspersions on the character of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the entire House. He has also tried to ruin the name of Parliament, which is wrong, and he should be suspended for the maximum period allowable,” Boss stated.