Nominated Member of Parliament Umulkheir Harun Mohamed has issued a statement following a physical altercation at the Parliament Buildings with East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Falhada Iman.
In her statement shared on Tuesday, April 8, Umi expressed regret over the incident, shifting the blame to Iman whom she accused of initiating the fight.
"Today an unfortunate incident occurred on the parliamentary grounds; a situation I deeply regret both as a Member of Parliament and as a mother. My colleague from the EALA, who has expressed longstanding differences with my work, acted in a manner that I find unacceptable.
"She came to Parliament to do nothing but attack me; an incident that blindsided me and left me question what faulted the ambush," she said.
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Umi clarified that she does not encourage any form of misconduct, adding that she remains committed to maintaining the standards expected of her office.
"I sincerely regret this occurrence and want to emphasize that I do not endorse or encourage any form of misconduct.
"While I am not providing further comments at this time, I remain fully committed to upholding the respectful and dignified standards expected of our institution and of myself, particularly as a Muslim woman," she added.
Umi called for a more respectful and constructive political environment, also revealing that she had lodged a complaint over the incident.
“The political landscape is inherently challenging, but there is never justification for behavior that undermines the integrity of our work. I hope that together we can foster a more respectful and constructive environment moving forward. I have made a complaint on the assault with the necessary institutions," she concluded.
The incident involving the two MPs was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, sparking a debate over the conduct of elected leaders.
