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Citizen Weekly

Sunday 25 January 2015

DID MP KURIA PULL DOWN MILLY ODHIAMBO'S WHITE PANTS

Our Reporter

The National Assembly’s special sitting that saw the contentious Security Laws passed was indeed special as it witnessed drama with MPs engaging one another in a physical confrontation and alleged sexual attempts.
With all the drama, it was Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo who stole the show but for the wrong reason when she allegedly  was stripped naked. According to Millie, it was Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who attempted to remove her  white pants during the scuffle. As parliament is set to reopen,   Kuria, Millie battles are set to resurface. MPs say they want to revive the matter and  know whether it is true Kuria touched the MP’s private parts. They want the matter investigated and a report tabled in parliament.
Cord is now planning to discuss the behaviour Kuria whom they accuse of attempting to undress Millie. Sources say as Jubilee legislators continue to pile pressure on Laboso not to forgive Homa Bay women representative Gladys  Wanga, Cord MPs are also pushing that stern disciplinary action be taken against Kuria. It is not however known if the matter has been reported to the Parliamentary Service Commission.
But Kuria in a quick rejoinder posted on his Facebook wall that no one stripped the Mbita legislator or attempted to as she claimed. Kuria posted: “She is the one who actually removed her panty and threw it on the floor of the House. She was behaving like a mad woman saying how Luo women are not embarrassed of their nakedness,” said Kuria.
Millie in her Facebook post had stated that she prides in her nakedness and she is fearfully and wonderfully made. “When they tried to undress me I completed the process for them…I cannot and will not be intimidated using my sexuality,” reads her post in part.
According to Kuria, he was protecting Laboso who was under attack from Millie and Homa Bay Wanga who poured water on Laboso. Kuria claims that he only blocked them from attacking Laboso but did not attempt to undress Millie.
He added that at that moment he blocked them from attacking her but later on towards the end of the putting of questions by the speaker, Millie removed her inner wear after she alleged that Kuria had attempted to remove it.
Millie has now claimed that Kuria tried to undress her, in addition to punching her in the eye. “I was boxed in the eye by Moses Kuria, as one permanent drunk pulled down my panty and two others lifted my dress. But I am not of the ‘ayayaya-you slapped-me-fame. Moses Kuria amejua why I am an elected MP from Mbita, and not appointed... when they tried to undress me I completed the process for them,” said Millie.
Besides her claims of being sexually harassed on the floor of the House, the Mbita legislator also alleged that her bodyguard was assaulted as she entered parliament that morning. “Today was a day and a half, but I am happy we fought against the tyranny even though we lost partially. My security was disarmed, manhandled and thrown in the cells for a while,” read part of her Facebook post.
The following morning, she posted on Twitter that she was going for a medical scan and uploaded a photo of her sporting what looked like a black eye. Responding to the claims through social media, Kuria insisted, albeit sarcastically, that he did not go near Millie during the session. “I did not get anywhere near Millie Odhiambo. I take ministry of Health Ebola warnings very seriously,” he Twitted. But in an interview the Gatundu South MP admitted he slapped her after she attacked Laboso. “I slapped her because she wanted to assault the deputy speaker. That was great disrespect,” Kuria said.
“She just stripped herself. Nobody tried to undress her. She undressed herself. She was undressing there... and even her fellow women were shocked at her actions.” Kuria says he will seek legal redress since the sight of the female legislator stripping traumatised him.
Wanga’s action could cut short her political career because if found guilty, she will lose her parliamentary seat.
Women MPs have now been sucked into the matter as they work in an effort to reconcile Laboso and Wanga. Last week, some women MPs from across the political divide were working behind the scenes to have the matter settled out of parliament but male MPs from Jubilee side have vowed to have Wanga face disciplinary action.
Apart from having her seat declared vacant, she can also be kicked out of the powerful Parliamentary Service Commission and any other committee where she is a member.
Other members of the PSC are Speaker Justin Muturi, Speaker (chairman), Aden Keynan, Jimmy Angwenyi and Sammy Leshore.
She is also a member of the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare as well as House Business Committee.
Although dozens of MPs threw punches, shouted, tore each other’s clothes and generally turned the House into a circus, it was the action of Wanga that is now being considered as disrespectful to the deputy speaker and hence push by Jubilee allied MPs to have her face disciplinary action. They now want Wanga disciplined saying her conduct does not befit an officer of her status.
Wanga who has now sensed danger is said to have made frantic efforts to have the matter withdrawn and has allegedly asked for forgiveness and even sent emissaries to Laboso.
Although Laboso personally filed a complaint with the House Powers and Privileges Committee, sources say she did so under pressure from Jubilee MPs and that she is ready to forgive Wanga but pressure from Jubilee is likely to work against the withdrawal of the case.
Laboso maintains that she holds no grudge against her for splashing water on her during the chaotic debate.

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