Hiiraan Online
3/29/2024
Today from Hiiraan Online:
Home
Somali Map
Sports
Opinion
RSS
Somali Music
Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
advertisements
Kenya security law approved despite chaos in parliament
By James Macharia
Friday, December 19, 2014
advertisements
NAIROBI — Kenya’s parliament approved new anti-terrorism laws on Thursday after chaotic scenes in which opposition legislators, citing a threat to civil liberties and free speech, threw books at the Speaker, shouted, chanted and sprinkled water over his deputy.
Television footage showed legislators exchanging blows in the public gallery before the vote.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has faced mounting pressure to boost security since a 2013 attack by Somali al Shabaab rebels on a Nairobi mall that killed 67 people. The militant Islamist group killed more that 60 people in two attacks this month.
The new measures will allow suspects to be held without charge for 360 days, up from 90 days, compel landlords to provide information about their tenants and punish media organizations if they print material “likely to cause fear or alarm”.
They measures take effect when Kenyatta signs them into law.
Speaker Justin Muturi twice suspended the morning session after opposition legislators shouted him down.
During the afternoon session, television footage showed an opposition lawmaker sprinkling water from a bottle on deputy speaker Joyce Laboso, who was reading out the proposed changes to existing security law.
When Muturi took over the reading, opposition legislators jeered and hurled hard cover books, forcing him to duck.
“The dignity, the integrity of parliament is at stake. The cameras of the National Assembly will bear testimony to what I am saying,” Aden Duale, the majority leader from Kenyatta’s Jubilee coalition, said trying to calm the legislators.
“This is autocratic leadership,” opposition MP John Mbadi told Reuters via telephone.
Some legislators had torn up parliamentary order papers that set the official agenda and scattered the pieces across the floor as they hugged each other and sang: “Msilale bado mapambano”, Swahili for “Do not sleep, the struggle goes on”.
Muturi ordered parliamentary guards to escort some opposition members out of the assembly, shouting “Order!, order!, even as mapambano goes on, there will be order”.
Armed police arrested activists protesting against the new law outside parliament.
Nine foreign missions in Kenya, including those of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Australia, said in a statement on Wednesday they supported plans to improve security but said human rights should also be respected.
Legislators from both sides of the House approved the appointment by Kenyatta of opposition MP Joseph Nkaissery as the new interior minister. A retired major-general, Nkaissery faces the task of tackling al Shabaab’s incursions from Somalia.
President Kenyatta signs controversial anti-terror bill amid criticism
- AFP
Former British citizen, Mahdi Hashi, ‘illegally interrogated’ by US officials in Djibouti
- BIJ
6 die of starvation in 'besieged' Somali town
- World bulletin
Kenya’s Kenyatta signs security law despite protests
- Reuters
120 Somali refugees head home from Kenya
- World bulletin
Four killed after Maasai and Somalia herdsman clash at Kinango
- Xinhua
Ten feared dead in Kwale clashes
- The Standard
Garissa governor is out of touch, say MCAs
- The Star
Somali police in preparation to mark 71st anniversary
- BarKulan
America Racism: Obama Mistaken for waiter
- AFP
Somali charged with double attempted murder placed under bill of indictment
- maltatoday
Home
Email