Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kamoyongo yesterday afternoon told Parliament through a point of order that UPND cadres stripped naked some journalists during a press briefing at the opposition party’s secretariat.

But Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini ruled it was an irrelevant point of order.

“As I stand here, this UPND party is failing to hold even peaceful press briefings. Today, two young ladies, Mr Speaker, one from Radio Phoenix, and another one from Millennium Radio were stripped naked in the presence of their leaders,” Kampyongo told Parliament when he rose on a point of order against Monze UPND member of parliament Jack Mwimbu, who had complained about police denying his party a permit to hold a public rally.

“And I plead with Mr. JJ Mwimbu, is he in order Mr. Speaker to ignore that barbaric act of their own thugs, their own members on innocent citizens and come here and cry without stating reasons, about the Inspector General of Police who has been worried about their conduct of late, was he in order Mr. Speaker to come and cite the IG who is unable to come here and defend himself? I seek your serious ruling Mr. Speaker.”

But in his ruling, Speaker Matibini reminded members of the House to refrain from abusing points of order.

“Members will recall just a few days ago, I guided the house. Honorable members I have repeatedly stated and guided that point of orders must be used to bring to my immediate attention any breach of order or transgression of any rule of the house. However the unfortunate trend in the house is that points of order have been used to raise issues unrelated to the business of the house. This, honorable members, is misused, and abuse of point of order, and this practice must end forthwith,” said Speaker Matibini.

“Therefore, I wish to reiterate that points of order strictly should ; (b) Be of the general maintenance of order and decorum in the house (b) Raised on a question of procedure in the house, and when the procedure is violated where appropriate, cite the relevant order of the standing orders or rule of the members handbook (c) Relate to business before the house at the particular moment, that is to say contemporaneously, in the event that honorable members wish to bring to my attention important and urgent national matters resort should be hard to the following mechanisms or avenues (i) questions of urgent nature understanding order number 31(ii) her honor the vice president’s question time on Fridays and (iii) ministerial statements by ministers as directed at the dispersion of the chair.”