- The Senate speaker was evacuated using an ambulance after protesters stormed Parliament Buildings.
- Reacting to the incident on the Floor of the House on Thursday, Cherargei said they were happy the Speaker was safe adding that some members who used the ambulance faced it rough.
Senator Nandi County Samson Cherargei commended the use of ambulances to rescue Members of Parliament on Tuesday.
Image: FILE
A light moment ensued at the Senate Assembly after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei commented on an incident where Speaker Amason Kingi used an ambulance to escape irate protesters on Tuesday.
The Senate speaker was evacuated using an ambulance after protesters stormed Parliament Buildings.
Reacting to the incident on the Floor of the House on Thursday, Cherargei said they were happy the Speaker was safe adding that some members who used the ambulance faced it rough.
"That was the only way for security arrangement. But we are happy you are safe. Other people who used the ambulance like Senator Chute did not succeed," he said.
Chute was among a group of MPs who were stoned after their ambulance was blocked by irate protesters.
"I was advising Senator Chute in future, he should get a Kenya Red Cross ambulance so that even demonstrators cannot understand," Cherargei said.
"We should call for peace, we should resolve and ensure we remain steadily focused for this country belongs to all of us."
While recounting his ordeal, Chute thanked the police for saving the lives of MPs trapped inside Parliament after the protesters invaded the August House last Tuesday.
This, as he confirmed that he and some six other MPs were evacuated from the scene using ambulances.
According to Chute, they boarded the vehicle outside Parliament after hell broke loose and fled only to be stopped by irate protesters on the road who started pelting stones at the car.
He said that were it not for the police who rushed to their rescue by throwing tear gas canisters at the group they would have lost their lives.
“Mr Speaker, I want to say here today that the country would have lost at least eight MPs, they would have killed us during that incident,” he said.
“God was with us. I want to thank those officers who saved us,” he added.
Kenya Red Cross and St John Ambulance have since denied using their vehicles to transport the leaders during the day.
“We have no contact or role in transporting persons other than the injured,” Red Cross said in a statement.
“The rumours have stopped. We can’t provide life-saving interventions without access and safety for our staff and volunteers,” it added.
On its part, St John Ambulance said the presence of its ambulances at Bunge Tower was part of its emergency response mandate during a time of crisis.
“As an emergency response organisation, we are bound to respond to all emergency calls impartially. Our ambulance was called to respond to one casualty incident at Bunge Tower in addition to several other incidents responded to during the protests across the city,” the organisation said.