This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 12, 2020, a heated exchange took place in the Senate as Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen was forced to apologize for calling President Uhuru Kenyatta a liar.
Murkomen's statement, made during a special sitting, sparked a demand from Siaya Senator James Orengo for him to withdraw his words.
According to Senate Standing Orders, section 96, it is not permissible to refer to the President's conduct adversely, except upon a specific substantive motion with at least three days' notice.
After acknowledging the Standing Orders, Murkomen clarified that he did not mean to imply that the President was a liar, but rather that he hoped removing him and Senator Susan Kihika would improve the relationship between the Senate and the National Assembly.
