Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua on Thursday called out the Senate over its decision to suspend nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba.
According to Karua, the decision was totally unfair to Orwoba and the women who sit in the Senate.
She equated the decision to male legislators telling their female counterparts that should they complain of sexual harassment, there would be consequences.
"Manifestly unfair and excessive. @Senate_KE which is male-dominated is telling women including women senators dare you complain of sexual harassment you shall exterminate yourself," Karua said.
She added that a dismissal of the charges against Senator Orwoba would have worked if all the evidence provided was not enough.
She called on women's rights organisations to take up the matter for further action.
"A dismissal of the charges would have sufficed if at all the evidence fell short. This is patriarchy silencing women on matters of sexual harassment. This requires scrutiny," she said.
Orwoba was suspended from the Senate and Parliament precincts on Wednesday for six months.
This was after the House adopted the Powers and Privileges Committee report tabled on August 10 which recommended her suspension for failing to appear before it to substantiate claims she made against her colleagues on corruption and sexual harassment.
The motion to debate the report was moved on Wednesday and the House adopted it via a majority vote, upholding the decision to suspend her.
"Having accorded Senator Gloria Orwoba an opportunity to be heard, the senator declined to participate in the inquiry by the committee on Powers and Privileges and hence the committee found the charges to stand,’’ the report stated.
"The committee considered the evidence before it on this charge and given that there was no evidence to the contrary to refute the charge, the charge was therefore confirmed,” it added.
However, in a video message Wednesday, Orwoba refuted claims that she was invited to appear before the committee to defend herself.
The lawmaker termed as false claims by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna that she had an opportunity to substantiate her claims, twice, but snubbed the summons.
Orwoba said the Senate brought the motion to have her suspended because they knew she was away and would not get a chance to defend herself.
"What I don't understand is Senate is aware that I am not there but they brought the motion. They knew that I would not get my 15 minutes to discuss this, and that is what is upsetting.
"Why couldn't Senate wait until I'm back and put it on the order paper? Why did they take it out of parliament when I was in parliament? When I was in parliament the motion was adjourned and I was told it would be dealt with outside parliament. I have to speak up. I'm a whistle-blower and this is what I get for it but that's okay," Orwoba added.