How the world's media covered chaotic House session
What you need to know:
- Almost all major international media outlets covered the shameful event.
- The story trended all day on CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera.
The world watched in disbelief on Thursday as Parliament descended into chaos during a session in which lawmakers exchanged blows, tore up the Order Paper, tussled with one another and even splashed water on Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso.
Almost all major international media outlets covered the shameful event, with TheNew York Times saying the scenes were “something akin to a rugby scrum, with lawmakers in suits and ties wrestling over papers amid futile cries from the speaker of ‘Order! Order’”.
Elsewhere, the story trended all day on CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. In the United States, Ksnmedia.com, a diaspora online publication, transmitted a live feed of the proceedings, beaming the pictures of the chaos to audiences across the globe.
“One can’t help but wonder what the perpetrators of acts of terror are thinking when they watch these events in the so-called august House,” lamented John Mwora in a comment during the transmission.
“Wild scenes in Kenyan Parliament”, screamed a story on the website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “There have been wild scenes in Kenya's parliament as a debate over tough new anti-terror laws descended into chaos.”
“Kenyan MPs brawl as security measures passed,” said a BBC headline, while the Zambian Daily Mail said “Kenyan lawmakers trade blows over Bill” on the front page.
“Fight breaks out in Kenyan parliament over counterterrorism Bill,” said Fox News, a leading American broadcaster. Photos of the chaotic scenes in and outside Parliament were splashed on its website.
“Thursday’s ugly scenes were watched all over (the) world and have the potential of damaging the already ailing Kenyan tourism industry,” said Jon Mutua in an opinion piece on Ksnmedia.com. “I wonder whether any of the protagonists thought about this before causing the pandemonium,” he added.
