Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Thursday, October 17, 2024, urged Senators not to embarrass the House during the impeachment hearing of Deputy President Rigathi Gahagua by recording TikTok clips.
Kingi, during the second day of the hearing of DP Gachagua’s impeachment, urged the senators to take the matter with the seriousness it deserved.
Kingi cautions senators
The former Kilifi County Governor urged the lawmakers not to use the chance given to them to seek clarification and ask questions as a moment to get a TikTok clip.
Kingi urged the members not to aim at stealing the show when they rose on the floor of the house to seek clarification from witnesses and their legal representatives during the impeachment hearing.
“And honourable Senators, when you are given an opportunity to seek clarification or ask a question, it is not a moment to get a TikTok clip. Please, this is a very serious matter; let us not embarrass this house,” Kingi stated.
Kingi-Seki drama
Kingi’s remarks came shortly after his bitter exchange with Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku Ole Kanar that saw him threaten to throw the lawmaker out of the senate chambers.
This is after Seki started shouting in the background while accusing Speaker Kingi of bias, when Abdi Mohamud, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), rose to respond to questions raised by senators.
“Honourable Seki, this hearing will terminate beyond midnight today. Let the witness respond to the queries; thereafter, we will go for another round. Is there any problem?” Kingi posed.
“Honourable Seki, you are out of order,” Kingi added.
In a quick rebuttal, Seki said, ”I am not out of order.”
“I am asking you to leave the chamber immediately… You cannot direct the chair on what to do! Honourable Seki, unless you apologise, I’m going to throw you out of the chamber. You cannot say the chair is biased,” Kingi argued amid murmurs from the House.
“If you have noticed, we have been going on lots. Honourable Seki, unless you apologise, I rule you out of order, and I am going to throw you out,” Kingi insisted.
Seki was forced to apologize before order was restored in the Senate.
After making the apology, Kingi proceeded to caution Seki, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, and Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute.
Abdi had appeared as a witness in Gachagua’s impeachment case after the Senate Speaker allowed their inclusion and assured the DP’s counsel that they would be accorded time to cross-examine him.