The National Assembly has approved the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to support the police during the ongoing protests against the controversial Finance Bill, 2024. The decision, made during a special sitting in Parliament on Wednesday, June 26, has sparked controversy.
Here are three reasons why.
1. No Media Coverage
During the sitting, media were barred from accessing the iparliamentary livestream.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo criticized the session on social media, saying it happened without media coverage.
“In a record 30 minutes, the National Assembly has just made Kenya a military state,” Amollo wrote on his X platform.
He noted the decision was made without proper debate or clarity on where, why, or for how long the KDF would be deployed.
2. Gazetted before Parliamentary Debate
The controversy also surrounds the fact that the deployment was first gazetted before it was discussed in Parliament. Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued the gazette notice on Tuesday night authorizining KDF deployment. The notice cited Article 241 (3) (b) of Kenya’s constitution, allowing military support for the police in emergencies.
“The Kenya Defence Forces is deployed on the 25th June, 2024, in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by the ongoing violent protests,” the gazette notice reads.
3. Legality Questioned
Concerns were also raised about the legality of the session. Critics pointed out the absence of the mace, which symbolizes the House’s authority. The mace was seized by protesters who made their way into parliament, looted and set abaze a section of the building
Military officers are now protecting key government sites, including State Houses ad lodges in Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mombasa. As well as the late Jomo Kenyatta’s mausoleum next to Parliament. Protesters had damaged property at the mausoleum, including the perimeter wall.
MPs will break for recess on Wednesday and resume on Tuesday, July 23.
By Vivian K.