Lawmakers allied to the opposition coalition on Thursday protested the deployment of a large contingent of police officers around Parliament buildings
Standing on a point of order, Minority Leader in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi wondered why the entire Parliament precincts was cordoned off by police officers at a time lawmakers were preparing to debate the Finance Bill 2024.
Wandayi indicated to Speaker Moses Wetangula that a number of members found it difficult to go through the police blockades to access the House.
“We are living in a democratic country and this House is the symbol of our democracy. No person in this country has the authority to establish a blockade around Parliament, to cordon off Parliament. There’s no state of emergency which has been declared as far as I am aware,” he stated
The leader of the Minority said if demonstrations across the city to protest the Finance Bill is what prompted the move, then it was unwise because those picketing were unarmed and peaceful and therefore could not warrant heavy police deployment.
He asked the speaker to contact the police boss and ask him to remove his officers from the area.
“What is it that is occasioning this overzealous approach by the police? Can the Speaker direct the Inspector General to withdraw the police officers who have made this Parliament to be like a military installation? It is an affront to our democracy for this Parliament to be turned into a military installation,” he said
He further accused the police of provoking and arresting the demonstrators even though they had not committed any offense.
Inspector General Japhet Koome, however, responded to the Opposition saying the police would continue standing guard in both in Parliament and surrounding areas.
“The (police) Service will neither condone nor approve efforts by demonstrators to either occupy critical government infrastructure including Parliament Buildings, or disrupt the ongoing Parliamentary proceedings,” said IG in a response letter
Koome insists the National Police Service will “maintain law and order; and protect life and property,”
