Envoys briefed on safety law
What you need to know:
- About 40 foreign envoys in Nairobi, mostly Western, were invited for an update at the Inter-Continental Hotel by top government officials involved in the drafting and lobbying for the new Security Act.
- It is a different approach from the one seen last week when government officials publicly told critics of the Act to “read” it first.
- The US had said it was “concerned” about certain provisions of the amended Act which it argued “appear to limit” freedoms.
The government Wednesday went on a charm offensive to try and convince diplomats on the need for the controversial anti-terror laws enacted last week.
About 40 foreign envoys in Nairobi, mostly Western, were invited for an update at the Inter-Continental Hotel by top government officials involved in the drafting and lobbying for the new Security Act.
Interior Permanent Secretary Monicah Juma, her Foreign Affairs counterpart Karanja Kibicho, Solicitor-General Njee Muturi and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua made presentations to the gathering of ambassadors.
DIFFERENT APPROACH
It is a different approach from the one seen last week when government officials publicly told critics of the Act to “read” it first.
President Kenyatta on Saturday reacted strongly to a statement by the US Government criticising the passage of the Act.
“Our law has provided checks by courts of law. What is more, Kenya has no Guantanamo Bay,” said Mr Kenyatta in a statement from State House. US detains terror suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“Our law doesn’t curtail the freedom of assembly and the State Department should read the law as passed, and not go by what its associates want them to believe,” said the statement.
The US had said it was “concerned” about certain provisions of the amended Act which it argued “appear to limit” freedoms.
