Senate Sits in Darkness: Power Outage Forces Suspension of Parliamentary Sessions; Senators Resort to Smartphone Flashlights Amidst Political Tension.
On Thursday, May 9, the routine proceedings of the Senate came to an abrupt halt as a power blackout swept through the Parliament, leaving lawmakers in Nairobi without electricity and necessitating an unexpected suspension of sittings.
The announcement of this unusual interruption was made by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna on x.com platform, who confirmed that due to the power outage within the Parliament premises, Senate activities had to be temporarily halted.
Amidst the unexpected blackout, Senators resorted to utilizing the flashlight functions on their smartphones as an alternative source of light.
However, this makeshift solution did not prevent tensions from escalating amongst the legislators, as some Senators began exchanging heated remarks and engaging in light-hearted banter.
The situation became particularly charged when members of the opposition started chanting “Ruto Must Go,” while their counterparts from the ruling party responded with chants of “Raila Must Go,” invoking the existing political divisions within the Senate.
Interestingly, the blackout coincided with a crucial moment at Parliament, as select members of the National Assembly were simultaneously engaged in deliberations over an impeachment motion targeting Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
Despite the intensity of the discussions surrounding Linturi’s alleged mishandling of a fake fertilizer case, members of the opposition refrained from incorporating Linturi’s name into their chants.
As the power outage persisted, the fate of the Senate’s resumed sessions remained uncertain, pending the restoration of electricity within the Parliament building.
