Speaker Moses Wetang'ula Suspends Ndindi Nyoro for Five Days Over KPC Share Claims

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula suspended Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro from the House for five sitting days after the lawmaker refused to apologise for allegations concerning Kenya Pipeline Company share purchases.

The suspension followed a plenary session on Wednesday in which Wetang'ula directed Nyoro to withdraw his remarks or apologise, after Nyoro on Tuesday claimed that phone calls from “the high office” had been made to officials at the National Social Security Fund, Public Service Superannuation Fund and Kenya Re, forcing them to invest in the Kenya Pipeline IPO that was close to failing.

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah and minority leader Junet Mohamed pressed the Speaker for an apology, with Junet stating that statements made on the floor must be substantiated and that Nyoro should table evidence or apologise, while Ichung'wah warned that Nyoro was misleading the House and referred to a document showing the PSSF’s 5.1 percent gain on its KPC share purchase as of June 30.

Nyoro declined to apologise, telling the Speaker that “what I stated is the truth, and the truth rides higher than the rules,” and later requested two weeks to provide evidence, a request Wetang'ula rejected because the remarks had already been expunged from the Hansard.

Wetang'ula ruled Nyoro guilty of grossly disorderly conduct under Standing Orders 88, 107 and 107A, described the punishment as the most lenient available, and ordered the MP to leave the chamber, calling him “a stranger in the House” for the next five sitting days.

In a press conference Nyoro called the suspension “unfortunate,” said he had not been given time to substantiate his claims in a parliamentary manner, and maintained that political directives should not influence pension fund investments, noting that the current KPC share price of KSh9.02 represented a 0.2 percent rise against 6 percent inflation, rendering the investment sub-optimal.

Nyoro pledged to continue scrutinising public resource management, warned that President William Ruto could not buy the Parliament’s integrity, and urged NSSF, Kenya Re and PSSF to act according to the constitution rather than political phone calls.