Senators have decried the 'suspect' deployment of security officers at the Parliament Buildings and said it was a move aimed at intimidating them ahead of discussing a prime bill.
Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale questioned speaker Ekwe Ethuro on the basis of stationing police officers outside Parliament Buildings.
"I have been denied access to this house...police dogs have barked at me...we have anti-riot police and all roads have been barricaded," Khalwale said.
"Has Parliament been held captive by the executive? Why have police barricaded roads near Parliament. We want to know why?" he asked as quoted by the Star.
Siaya senator James Orengo joined the talk, asking the speaker to absolve himself from the order of police closing the roads.
"When Parliament is meeting, nothing should appear as if there is any interference.... When I had an argument with the police, they told me there is no coming in with cars," he said.
Nominated senator Janet Ongera lamented that the action by police was proof enough that the executive was now taking over and denying parliamentarians their constitutional rights.
"We were not allowed to come with our cars...we want a clarification whether the executive has taken over," she said.
According to Vihiga senator George Khaniri, the deployment was utterly 'unacceptable' and was a sign that Kenya was heading in the wrong direction.
"I stand with a heavy heart. I left my house at 5pm and travelled through the night only to get here and be blocked. This is ridiculous and unacceptable," he said.
"I have never seen anything like this before... this is an important house and they must be given full access to parliament."
Cord co-principal and senator for Bungoma Moses Wetangula said that senate sessions could only be successful if the discussions were conducted without fear.
"We come here and it looks like we are a state of conflict...this is not the way we conduct business we want to speak without fear," he said.