PHOTO | FILE Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
By NATION REPORTER
Posted Wednesday, March 7 2012 at 22:30
Posted Wednesday, March 7 2012 at 22:30
House Speaker Kenneth Marende on Wednesday declined to allow Parliament to “discipline” Prime Minister Raila Odinga for his absence at Wednesday's session.
The MPs wanted to suspend Mr Odinga from Parliament for four days.
The PM is in Brussels, Belgium, on an official visit, according to his office, but his absence was not properly communicated to Parliament.
He had, however, promised the House that he would be present on Wednesday to speak on the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council in response to a question filed by Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale.
A letter sent by his office to the Clerk of the National Assembly was rejected by the Speaker who said it amounted to disrespect of Parliament.
The letter arrived in Parliament at 2pm and according to the Speaker, that was unacceptable.
“The Office of the PM is treating Parliament casually and not giving it its due respect; this kind of behaviour is intolerable,” he said.
The Speaker said the letter was signed by a nondescript person in the PM’s office and was obviously not acceptable.
He was not amused by the turn of events, recalling to the House that he had committed to make himself available at Wednesday’s session.
Dr Khalwale sought to have the PM named for gross misconduct based on Standing Order 98.
Naming a member is a term used to describe the disciplining of an MP for breaking the rules of Parliament.
The Speaker declined the request, promising to give his reasons next week.
“I am not inclined to do so…because the PM may not even be aware that he has committed gross misconduct. Normally we invoke this Standing Order when the conduct is on the face of the House,” he stated.
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