Speaker threatens to ban Zitto from speaking in Parliament indefinitely

Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe (ACT Wazalendo)

What you need to know:

  • Mr Ndugai also threatened to ban Mr Kabwe from speaking in the Parliament indefinitely.
  • On Tuesday the Speaker ordered the parliamentary ethics committee to grill Mr Kabwe after he criticized the speaker for handing over two reports by parliamentary teams, which were formed to investigate Tanzanite and diamond mining, before they were debated in the house.

Dodoma. Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai has again ordered Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe (ACT Wazalendo) to be grilled by parliamentary ethics committee following his comments on social media.

Mr Ndugai also threatened to ban Mr Kabwe from speaking in the Parliament indefinitely.

On Tuesday the Speaker ordered the parliamentary ethics committee to grill Mr Kabwe after he criticized the speaker for handing over two reports by parliamentary teams, which were formed to investigate Tanzanite and diamond mining, before they were debated in the house.

Speaking in the Parliament on Wednesday morning Mr Ndugai ordered the committee to grill Mr Kabwe over his remarks on social media that the Speaker was undermining the Parliament in favour of the executive.

Mr Kabwe wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that Mr Ndugai's performance was far behind his predecessors Samuel Sitta and Anne Makinda.

"Ndugai was dreaming to achieve a quarter of Sitta's performance but he has not achieved even 10 per cent of Ms Makinda perfomance," wrote Mr Kabwe.

Responding to Mr Kabwe’s accusations Mr Ndugai said the Kigoma Urban Member of Parliament risks long term ban from speaking in the Parliament.

"During the 9th Parliament under Mr Sitta, Mr Zitto was banned from the House for three months. Does he want me to go at that speed?" he queried.

"I can ban him from speaking in the house indefinitely because I have the powers…I advise him not to invite problems because he can fight anyone but not Ndugai,” said the speaker.