Thursday October 26, 2023
Farah Maalim was accused of violating parliamentary rules
A Kenyan MP was ordered to remove a traditional Palestinian scarf he was wearing during parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday.
Farah Maalim said he was wearing the scarf in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
He said Palestine "needs support of everybody in Kenya".
But the National Assembly Speaker ordered the MP to remove the scarf, saying the move violated parliamentary rules.
Fellow MPs also condemned the legislator for "disrespecting" the House rules.
It comes a few days after Kenyan police briefly detained three people for participating in a pro-Palestinian meeting in the capital, Nairobi.
President William Ruto has expressed his government’s full support for Israel in the ongoing conflict.