Legislators roughed up in House fist fight; Johnstone Muthama, SimbaArati injured

By Standard Reporter, Thursday, December 18th 2014 

Nairobi, Kenya: Business at the National Assembly came to a standstill Thursday afternoon after MPs disrupted a special sitting convened to debate the controversial security amendments bill.
The bill is set to go for third reading but CORD MPs are opposed to its passage until some clauses have been amended.
CORD Senators James Orengo, Boni Khalwale, Johnstone Muthama, Moses Wetangula and Elizabeth Ongoro were attacked by the rival MPs while at the speaker’s gallery. The five had gone to support their National Assembly counterparts in opposing the bill when they were rudely roughed up.
Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama showed journalist wounds on his leg which he sustained during the fight.

Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati also had his finger injured during the heated exchange. He was quoted saying “My finger was almost gone!But we have to save Kenya!”
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi adjourned the House to 2.30pm.
The media was blocked from the press gallery and even the live televised feed from parliament disrupted.
Jubilee MPs have expressed their determination to see that the bill is passed by close of day while CORD MPs vowed that nothing will happen.
ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba said that “whatever has happened today is a sign that should the bill go through, the country will slip into dictatorship.”