KDF: No plans to deploy soldiers on Election Day

The military has no immediate plans of deploying troops ahead of the General Election, the High Court has been told.

Appearing before a bench of three judges on Monday, Brigadier Kenneth Dindi filed affidavits from two senior officers from the military explaining the circumstances under which the military can be deployed in Kenya.

NO PLANS

And as at now, Brig Dindi explained, there are no plans of deploying members of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to electoral violence hotspots.

The National Super Alliance (Nasa) had gone to court seeking to block ministries of Defence and that of Interior from deploying KDF to areas dubbed hotspots before, during and after elections.

This was after it claimed the government was planning to use the military to rig August 8 poll.

The government denied the claims and disowned the documents Nasa claimed detailed troop deployment.

ISSUES

During the Monday court session, Nasa, through lawyer Paul Mwangi, told Justices Joseph Onguto, Roseline Aburili and Chacha Mwita that the explanation given by the military was satisfactory.

“The position taken by the military appears satisfactory to us,” Mr Mwangi said.

However, he said they were not ready to withdraw the suit because there were other matters they wanted the court to address.

The case, however, is no longer urgent and the judges adjourned it.

The affidavit by two senior military personnel, who are currently monitoring KDF operations, said units and formations of KDF could only be deployed through operation orders.

ORDER

But at the moment, there is no order that has been issued, they told court.

“In my capacity as the Chief of Operation, it is within my knowledge that no directive or order has been issued to the defence forces for operations intended to disenfranchise Kenyans or a section or to participate in the management of the elections” Brigadier Fredric Lokia said.

In the case, Nasa had argued that the alleged intended deployment of military would scare away voters and violate their rights to vote.

Another officer, Lieutenant Col Robert Deche says the joint Dumisha Utulivi operation, whose training was conducted publicly on June 9 and 23,  was a multi-agency exercise that was intended to train and evaluate the national security organs on their preparedness to deal with threats to national security should any rise.

WAKI

He said  the training was a routine exercise to prepare for possible scenarios requiring comprehensive and joint response.

The officer said the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence or Waki commission identified the lack of preparedness, particularly by the Kenya Police, during the 2007/2008 and there was, therefore, need to conduct multi-agency exercise such as Dumisha Utulivu.

“KDF has role to play in the management and conduct of the forthcoming General Election. However, the need to protect and safeguard the national security remains an enduring tenet that cannot under any circumstance be abdicated to the detriment,” Lokia said.

The case will be mentioned on September 22 for directions.