By CYRUS OMBATI

The Prevention of Terrorism Bill 2012 is to be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday in effort to come up with a legislation to deal with terrorism in the country.

Head of the Civil Service Francis Kimemia revealed Monday the Bill is ready for discussion at the Cabinet level before it is tabled in the House for approval.

“The bill will be discussed in the next cabinet meeting and an Act will be coming out very soon so that we can pin down these terrorists,” said Kimemia.

Currently, security lacks proper law hence a major challenge in fighting terrorism because they work under a thin legislation which, in most cases finds them in conflict with the law.

A draft of the bill outlines theof punishments to be meted on people found supporting or associating themselves with terrorists and their activities.

A section of Muslim leaders have praised the provisions of the proposed law.

The Bill borrows from human rights concepts on how suspects should be handled or treated once in custody, but calls for stiffer penalties on perpetrators.

Suspects will not be kept in cells past the required 24-hour period, unless it is otherwise declared by a court of law.

Unlike, the current provisions of the Penal Code, the Bill states courts may receive in evidence anything including information obtained from the government or institution or agency of a foreign state or from an international organisation that in the opinion of the court is reliable and relevant.

“Any person or persons who commit an act of terrorism shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a period of not less than seven years and shall on conviction more than twenty years,” the Bill states.

Those who commit terrorist acts that causes death of a person shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for life.

“A person or persons who provides or collects, by any means directly or indirectly any funds intending, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the funds may be used in full or in part to carry out a terrorist act shall be liable for an imprisonment term not less than seven years and more than 14 years upon conviction.” 

Police have often complained of lacking a legal mechanism of dealing with terrorists because suspects arrested end up being set free by the courts, for being arraigned on flimsy charges.