Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei, the Woman Representative for Uasin Gishu County, suspended Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino from the House premises for four days starting August 10.
Hours later, Honorable Owino claimed his suspension was arbitrary- meaning that DS Shollei may have suspended him based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system.
“Headed to Embakasi East Republic after my arbitrary suspension from Parliament, will fly back to Parliament next week. See you when [I’m] back,” said Honorable Owino as he captioned a video of him flying an aircraft.
The suspension followed an incident involving Babu’s counterpart from Kenya Kwanza, David Kiplagat, who reported leaving his phone charging in the lounge around 2 pm on August 10.
However, upon returning, he discovered that only the phone remained, with the charger missing, indicating that someone had taken it.
He also questioned the safety of leaving gadgets anywhere within the Parliament premises.
His comments ignited a strong reaction from his opponents; some chuckled while others retorted, suggesting he should purchase a new charger.
At one juncture, Honorable Owino attempted to interject by raising his hand to raise a point of order, but Deputy Speaker Shollei seemingly missed his gesture, choosing another legislator to continue.
While the fellow Parliamentarian spoke, Babu Owino expressed his frustration towards the Deputy Speaker through animated gestures, although his words were indistinct.
Deputy Speaker Shollei reprimanded Babu Owino for his outburst, asserting that he was disrupting the proceedings by shouting.
She instructed him to retract his statements, a request he rebuffed, contending that he couldn’t withdraw anything since he wasn’t addressing a point of order.
“What should I withdraw? Number one, I was not on record and so I cannot withdraw. Was I on record? What do you want me to withdraw? Out where? (he countered said as his opposers demanded he be thrown out of the House),” said Babu Owino in part.
Later, a clerk presented Shollei with the rule that allowed her to deal with Babu’s outburst, and she ordered his four-day suspension due to bad conduct, interrupting procedure, and falsely raising a point of order.
Not one to back down, Babu Owino went ahead to tell her that she should go ahead and multiply those suspension days and warned her not to joke with the House.
The Sergeants-at-Arms escorted him out of the house as he continued talking back at Shollei to the astonishment of the Kenya Kwanza MPs.
