Draft laws spark sharp divisions

Kenya: The changes to the security laws that President Uhuru Kenyatta wants passed have sparked bitter divisions.

Supporters are now seeing it as a necessary ammunition in the war against insecurity and terrorism while those opposed insist that they are a threat to fundamental democratic freedoms.

As a result, political temperatures have risen tremendously as both Government and Opposition locked horns while protests against the proposed laws also heighten from the media and human rights groups.

Opposition politicians have gone as far as threatening 'mass action' to oppose the amendments that would most likely pass through Parliament due to majority support enjoyed by Jubilee.

The Security Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 was as a result of the devastating string of attacks on Kenyans by Al-Shabaab, especially the latest ones in Mandera, which saw 70 people killed in two strikes in barely 10 days.

MASSIVE PRESSURE

Under massive pressure from Kenyans, the President sacked Interior Cabinet Secretary Jospeh ole Lenku and appointed retired military officer Joseph Nkaissery to handle the docket.

State House is also believed to have piled pressure on David Kimaiyo to retire from the post of inspector general of police.

This provoked a harsh reaction from Uhuru who lashed out at the Opposition as playing politics with security and giving Kenya's enemies room to make further inroads.

"If you have legitimate disagreements about the laws we have proposed you have a right to oppose them in a civilised manner through the appropriate institutions and seek amendments. But going to the streets is total foolishness," said the President during his Jamhuri Day speech.

But Uhuru signalled willingness to yield to proposals to review some of the changes as suggested by the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution. He insisted the bill's fundamental provisions were sound and needed no changes.

Attempts to narrow the divide between the ruling alliance and Opposition ahead of the introduction of the bill into the House failed as hard-line and intransigent positions reigned. It is with this spirit that the draft law was introduced into the House.