Kenyans cry foul as ayes ‘beat’ nays in contentious vote
Kenyans online have protested the manner in which the vote of the Finance Bill 2018 was taken Parliament during Thursday’s stormy session.
Those who were following the proceedings lamented how MPs opposing the amendments were sounded to be more than those in support, yet the chairperson ruled otherwise.
During the voting, the chairperson of the committee of the whole house Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya put the question and the ayes were less than the nays but she ruled that the ayes had it.
It was after that vote that members from the opposition celebrated as the Majority Leader Aden Duale stood up and beckoned some members and escorted them out of the House.
Tuya then ordered for the bell to be rang after which the electronic voting would proceed.
But after a long back and forth, there was a standoff as she tried to read the roll-call to establish whether there was a quorum in the House.
The standoff saw the Speaker come back to the House and called members to order before they started explaining that after the nays had it.
Here is the moment the MPs shouted ‘nay’.
This parliament though! The nays are louder than the Ayes but still, the ayes have it! So what is the point of asking when y’all have made up your minds! #TheEyesHaveIt #WeSeeYou #YouWillBeBackForVotes pic.twitter.com/38zqHELs3C
— Anne Okumu (@AnnOkumu) September 20, 2018
And here are the reactions on Twitter:
Hon. Soipan Tuya, sorry to say but you are a disgrace to democracy in Kenya. It’s clear the Nays had it but you decided to rule differently. A time will come when we will get tired of this.
— Ken (@Kenn_Muturi) September 20, 2018
I can clearly discern the ‘NAYs’ being louder than the ‘AYEs’ but the chair of the session is declaring the Ayes.
Parliament is just a RUBBER STAMP.
— Eric (@amerix) September 20, 2018
The NAYS loudly and clearly had the win.Then the Clerk gives the AYES ? Bloody hell. Rigging live on TV #TaxVoteKe
— Kahigi (@SK_Njoroge) September 20, 2018
Is it me i am not getting it right.
How comes nays are shouting loud but the Aye have it???
#TaxVoteKe pic.twitter.com/viz1mXwtZR— RAYMOND K SEREM (@seremrays) September 20, 2018
The nays were clearly louder than the ayes. Or is it my radio with a problem? Maybe the speaker isn’t working properly.
— Charles (@CharlieFlani) September 20, 2018
We have watched a divided House with majority voting NO to the horrendous tax proposals as overzealously legislated by the Executive contrary to the principles of Separation of Powers. Indeed the NAYS had it but the undying culture of subterfuge endorsed the YES team #TaxVoteKe
— Wakili Ochieng (@ItsOchieng) September 20, 2018