House tightens security over Shabaab concerns

Parliament’s security has been beefed up as the country continues with its pursuit of the Somalia Al-Shabaab militia.

The push also follows complaints by MPs of security lapses in the precincts of the House.

The move came after a meeting held in Parliament buildings reportedly attended by senior police officers in Nairobi. The Minister of Internal Security, Prof George Saitoti, also attended the meeting held on Friday at the Speaker's Office.

The meeting took place just a day after MPs had raised qualms with the Parliamentary Service Commission about their safety while in the three buildings of Parliament. These three are the main Parliament buildings, County Hall and Continental House.

Following the move, it was agreed that the police officers attached to Parliament should at all times carry loaded guns. Plus, instead of them just manning the gates, they will be required to patrol the precincts of Parliament.

The number of sniffer dogs that patrol the compound will also be increased and the patrols also intensified.

The policemen at the gate have AK-47s and revolvers. All visitors to Parliament will have to go through a thorough screening that involves display of identification documents and a physical pat-down to ensure they are not hiding any weapons.

The reports from Parliament also indicate that the General Service Unit has also sent a contingent of its officers to join the officers in plainclothes to ensure that even those who make it into the compound do not pose any threat whatsoever to the lawmakers. These ones have been asked to patrol in the corridors of the House all day and night, in shifts.

For the sake of their safety, MPs have been asked to limit the number of visitors into Parliament to two at any given time. This will hugely reduce the weekly traffic of 10,000 visitors that streams into the House.

At the same time, the PSC commissioner in charge of Security, Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo MP), has distanced himself from the allegations levelled against the commission. Mr Kamau said the way the accusations had been made showed a sinister motive.

He said it was wrong for the MPs to target “just the six commissioners”. Mr Kamau said that if he’s found guilty, then he’ll be willing to quit.

“Every resolution of the commission is signed, so there’s no way you can de-link the chairman,” the Kigumo MP said.

‘You cannot blame all commissioners and say that we’re all guilty. This is pure character assassination. If I am found to be in violation of the Constitution, not only will I step down, but I am also ready to be prosecuted in a court of law,” Mr Kamau said.

He said the whole motive of the motions to reconstitute the commission was a “plot by one of the political parties in the coalition government, with the sole interest and purpose of controlling the National Assembly”.

“This is clear malice that cannot be proven,” Mr Kamau charged. “I appeal to my colleagues that they should not fall prey to political machinations”. Mr Kamau said that if the lawmakers persist, then the commissioners “can agree to step aside to pave way for investigations”.

The commissioners face accusations of corruption in tendering; nepotism in hiring and promoting staff, neglecting staff welfare and that of MPs, plus the one that they turn their offices into brothels. They will respond to the allegations on Thursday at a kamukunji, an informal meeting chaired by the Speaker. MPs want the commissioners to resign.