AG Githu Muigai defends operation to weed out terrorists

By Rawlings Otieno

Nairobi, Kenya: Attorney General Githu Muigai has defended the security operation to weed out terrorists and illegal immigrants.

Muigai maintained that the Government was conducting the operation within the law and said keeping suspects at Kasarani Stadium is a security measure.

“The government is conducting a security operation in the country to rid out terrorists. It will choose to repatriate the aliens or charge them for being within the country illegally. This is being done within the law,” said Muigai.

The AG noted that terrorists had caused many deaths in the country and that they must be dealt with if Kenyans are to live peacefully.

Githu said at a Nairobi hotel yesterday when he received materials for for legal resource centres.

The Government’s legal advisor said that foreigners in the country must be searched and, if found without proper immigrant materials, face the law.

He said establishing legal resource centres would enable legal aid service providers access legal information to support their cases in court.

Bridging Divides through Accountable Governance Programme (BDAG) has been instrumental in supporting the training of 120 probono lawyers, 210 experts in alternative dispute resolution mechanism in mediation and 64 paralegals and prison officers on criminal law.

Already a draft Legal Aid Bill is at an advanced stage and will soon be tabled in Parliament, and if enacted, will accord citizens without advocates an opportunity to be represented in court by the lawyers.

Legal aid

“With the imminent enactment of the Legal Aid legislation by August 27, access to justice will be progressively realised and access to legal aid and information will be a reality for every citizen,” said the AG.

The legal resource centres will stock Kenya Law Reports and reviews from 1978 to 2013, titles of family, children, succession, civil and criminal procedure, employment law, land law and conveyance.

The centres will also be equipped to handle legal research and writing, arbitration law and practice, tax law, African customary law, marriage, contract, law of evidence and commercial law among others.

The resource centres will be connected to the internet and will subscribe to various e-libraries where researchers will be able to source e-materials including books, articles, journals, presentations among others.