Inside Ruto's intricate KDF plan to restore order, handle protests

KDF Officers in Nairobi CBD for Gen Z anti-finance Bill protest. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Days after the High Court affirmed the deployment of the military to quell protests across the country, The Standard can now reveal how the deployment strategy looked like.

President William Ruto, on Tuesday last week, deployed two companies of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers and positioning two additional military companies on standby at Kahawa Barracks to handle the wave of protests.

In what appeared to threaten a breach of security and paralysis of business across the country, Ruto, through the CS for Defence, Aden Duale, made the move, rubbing the opposition and a section of rights groups the wrong way.

"The Kenya Defence Forces are deployed on June 25, 2024, in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by the ongoing violent protests in various parts of the Republic of Kenya, resulting in the destruction and broaching of critical infrastructure," Duale said in a gazette notice on Tuesday. 

Officers from Kahawa Barracks, military intelligence (Karen), and special forces from the Moi Air Base (MAB) Sports Camp in Ngong, Kajiado County, were part of the deployment and were to collaborate with the police to put an end to riots in the city.

“The special military units are trained at the MAB after they were moved from Kabete, where KDF is setting up a Level 6 Cancer Centre, which will be the biggest in the region and will serve both the public and military,” said a military source.

Several military officers from Kahawa Barracks were stationed at Parliament buildings and another set at State House to support the overwhelmed police force.

“The team from Kahawa was in charge of Nairobi, and good enough, the barracks offer many courses and can handle many things,” a source from the military intimated.

Other key locations, including Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, and the State Lodges, were heavily guarded by the KDF.  The units were armed with armored vehicles, machine guns, G3 rifles, AK-47s, and Belgian SCARs.

State House and military sources said that three additional companies were on standby at Kahawa Barracks, prepared to join the field if necessary.

“A military company has between 100 and 300 officers, depending on the operation scope,” a top official said.

The special forces from MAB Ngong were stationed at Langata Barracks and conducted short patrols, with officers spotted at Commercial, Moi Avenue, and Langata Road during the protests.

Law scholar Peter Kagwanja emphasized the constitutional limitations of military deployment for domestic protests.

“You cannot deploy the military to the streets. Our law is very clear that the military will only deal with external threats,” Kagwanja stated.

He warned that deploying the military in civilian protests is akin to a coup, as the military is trained for combat, not civilian control.

On Thursday, however, the High Court ruled that the government can deploy the military to assist the police in quelling violent protests.

This is after the Law Society of Kenya filed an affidavit at the High Court, where they cited Article 241 of the Constitution, which restricts military deployment to emergencies or to restore peace, both requiring National Assembly approval.