Opposition pledges to shoot down security Bill

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) and Jubilee senators are headed for a clash in the House after the Opposition Sunday promised to push for the withdrawal of the contentious security Bill to have its First Reading today (Monday).

Opposition senators led by Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula have said they will vote down the Security Laws (amendment) Bill, 2015, saying that it violates the constitutional rights of Kenyans.

Their Jubilee counterparts have, however, vowed to ensure the Bill is passed, arguing that it would help improve the safety of Kenyans.

The ruling coalition’s senators added that there was an opportunity to clean it up before passage.

This is the first Bill threatening to divide the House down the middle.

Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki is sponsoring the contentious Bill and has said the proposed law is meant to improve the safety of Kenyans.

CONTENTIOUS CLAUSES
However, Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr said the reintroduction of contentious clauses was mischievous and promised “tough times’ in the Senate for Prof Kindiki.

“I will challenge the Speaker to issue directions on the matter because our view that security was a function of counties was ignored. It is curious that the Majority Leader would shift the arena of the debacle of this Bill to the Senate where they do not enjoy an absolute majority.

In any event the Senate has a horde of pending work that is more urgent than the Bill,” Mr Kilonzo Jr told the Daily Nation Sunday.

Nyamira Senator Kennedy Mong’are welcomed the laws, saying they were required to beef up security, following numerous terrorist attacks.

“These are proper laws. Hotels should take down details of those checking in. No one should be worried about that unless they are trying to hide something. We should also have some order in picketing. We should have particular places to demonstrate,” he said.

In a bid to ensure safety in the airports and airstrips, the Bill suggests creation of a buffer zone that will be manned by security personnel.

“The Cabinet secretary shall, on the recommendations of the (Kenya Airports) Authority by order published in the Gazette provide zoning land adjacent to aerodromes for security purposes by creating two hundred and fifty metres controlled zone from runaway centreline and not less than 50m from the airport’s outer perimeter fence,” the Bill delineates.

It targets amending six Acts of Parliament, namely the Public Order Act, the Radiation Protection Act, the Rent Restrictions Act and Kenya Airports Authority Act.

Other targeted laws are the Traffic Act and the National Police Service Act.