Senator Karen Nyamu Expelled from Senate Chamber over Inappropriate Dressing

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu was on Tuesday kicked out of the Senate chambers for dressing inappropriately.

Senator Nyamu arrived in the chambers wearing a kitenge skirt and a sleeveless blouse exposing her arms, which is not allowed under the parliamentary rules.

Migori Senator Eddy Oketch petitioned the Speaker over her dress code, which he argued had brought disrepute to the House.

“I am really getting concerned with the kind of leadership that the majority side is showing this house. We are watering down the essence of Parliament,” he observed.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that Senator Nyamu violated the dress code rules and expelled her from the chamber.

“Senator I am afraid you do not fit the bill and I am going to ask you to leave the chambers,” Kingi noted.

The Speaker’s rules on dress code require female Members of Parliament to wear decent formal or business wear.

Before expelling Senator Nyamu, Kingi read out the Speaker's Rule number 5 which states “Senators are required not to enter the chamber, lounge or dining room without being properly dressed.”

“This means a male Senator will be dressed in a coat, collar, tie, long trousers, socks and shoes or service uniform, religious attire or such other decent dressing as may be approved by the speaker from time to time... An equivalent standard shall apply in respect of women senators who may also wear kitenges or such other African attire,” said Speaker Kingi.

The Senate resumed its Second Session of 4th Senate on Tuesday after the long recess.