Judges, police to meet over terror
What you need to know:
- The bone of contention from the country’s top leadership has been the release on bond or lenient penalties of people arrested and suspected to be behind acts of terrorism including the now common grenade attacks.
Top judges and security chiefs will meet this week to discuss the prevailing security situation in the country following claims that the Judiciary was frustrating the war against terror.
The meeting comes a few days after Deputy President William Ruto complained that the Judiciary was thwarting efforts to bring to book, suspected to terrorists arrested by police.
Mr Ruto who was speaking after a terrorism attack along Thika Road which left several people dead and many injured, said the manner in which cases involving terror suspects were handled made it hard for the security to fully carry out investigations.
The two-day conference slated for Thursday at the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) will be addressed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku, Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko and Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga among other senior security and judicial officials.
In a statement, the CJ’s office said the two-day forum is expected to generate appropriate responses within the context of the Constitution and international human rights laws.
The bone of contention from the country’s top leadership has been the release on bond or lenient penalties of people arrested and suspected to be behind acts of terrorism including the now common grenade attacks.
Security experts are now calling for a review of the country’s anti-terror laws to curb the current upsurge. The analyst are worried that the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2012 for instance, allows bail for terrorism suspects.
“The Judiciary Training Institute convenes the meeting after the CJ instructed that it facilitates constructive dialogue with other stakeholders within and outside the government.
“The meeting aims to explore international human rights and counter-terrorism, which sometimes seem in opposition to each other, and demonstrate that they should be properly viewed as complimentary to each other,” said the statement.
Last week the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Ms Anne Amadi said the Constitution had given certain rights that must be protected.
She however welcomed the meeting between the Judiciary and top security organs to discuss the critical security issue.
