Kenyan members of parliament spent over two hours on Wednesday in the National Assembly in Nairobi debating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with a strong, cross-party consensus emerging for the government to officially recognise the State of Palestine.

The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Gladys Boss Shollei, saw more than 20 MPs speak out against the ongoing conflict, calling for a cessation of hostilities and highlighting what they described as a clear violation of the international law.

The debate was sparked by a motion filed by Kisumu Town West MP Shakeel Shabbir, who urged Kenya to take a definitive stand. “Madam Speaker, Kenya must take a stand. We must recognise the State of Palestine, but also affirm the right of Israel to exist,” Shabbir said. He compared the unfolding tragedy in Gaza to the Rwandan genocide, arguing that the international community must not turn a blind eye.

 “What we are witnessing in Gaza is inhumane and tragic — one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time,” he said, noting the devastation in the territory. He also called for the immediate release of hostages, citing the humane treatment of prisoners in Islamic teachings.

Calls for humanitarian action and end to starvation

Yussuf Hassan, the MP for Kamukunji in Nairobi, highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinian civilians. “The people of Gaza and Palestine are not equipped with weapons of war,” he said.

“They are civilians suffering immense hardship as Israel cuts off food, water, electricity, and access to medical aid.”

Hassan characterised Gaza as “effectively a prison under siege” and accused Israel of “weaponising starvation” by blocking humanitarian aid convoys at the borders, an act he termed a “clear violation of international law, humanitarian law, and human rights law.”

Mandera North MP Abdullah Bashir Sheikh, who also serves as the vice chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations, echoed these sentiments.

'Attack on humanity'

“The State of Israel has violated every aspect of international law and humanitarian law in this ongoing crisis,” he said. He broadened the discussion to note that the victims were not exclusively Muslim, pointing out that Palestinian Christians and their places of worship have also been affected.

“This is not an attack on one religion — it is an attack on humanity,” he said, making a clear distinction: “We are not condemning the people of Israel — we are condemning the actions of the Israeli government and its military.”

The debate featured a number of other impassioned speeches. Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney described the situation as “the deliberate targeting of civilians,” lamenting the killing of unarmed people queuing for food and water. He called it “nothing less than the extermination of the Palestinian community,” and condemned “superpowers” for their silent observation of the crisis. “Palestine must be allowed to exist as an independent state, to govern itself and manage its own affairs,” Saney said.

Attempts to 'erase Palestine from existence'

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi questioned why more nations had not followed the 170 countries at the United Nations that have already recognised Palestine and the legitimacy of its people’s struggle.

He questioned why other nations were “refusing to support a people who are simply fighting for survival and dignity in their own land.”

Migori MP Fatuma Mohammed was overcome by emotions, shedding tears on the floor of parliament.

She said that out of the 61,000-plus death toll in Gaza, “28,000 are women — the very people who give life to generations.” Fatuma added that the Israeli attacks on Gaza were an attempt to “erase Palestine from existence.”

Unified message

The parliamentary discussion reflects a growing public sentiment in Kenya.

In late 2024, Daystar University in Nairobi was forced to cancel a deal with the Israeli embassy to establish a “Zion Forest” on its campus, following widespread public outcry from Kenyans expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

The two-hour debate concluded with a powerful and unified message from a significant number of Kenyan lawmakers, urging the government to take a decisive diplomatic and political stance on the conflict.