CS Duale Gazettes Deployment of KDF to All the 47 Counties

CS Aden Duale before the National Parliamentary Committee on Implementation on Thursday, July 13th
CS Aden Duale before the National Parliamentary Committee on Implementation on Thursday, July 13th
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CS Aden Duale

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has gazetted the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to all 47 counties.

In the notice, it was noted that the military officers will be helping the police in restoring order after the Finance Bill protests.

The new gazette notice was published following the directives that were issued by Justice Lawrence Mugambi on Thursday.

Regarding timelines of the operation, the CS indicated that the operation would end once normalcy is restored across the country.

A collage of KDF military vehicles along Lang'ata road in Nairobi on June 27, 2024
A collage of KDF military vehicles along Lang'ata Road in Nairobi on June 27, 2024
Kenyans.co.ke

Part of the mandate of the KDF will be to safeguard critical installations across the country.

"Based on the prevailing threats to national security planned and orchestrated through various platforms in the cyberspace, the deployment will cover the Forty-Seven Counties within the Republic of Kenya where critical installations and infrastructure are located in order to assist the National Police Service preserve life, preserve the internal security of the State, protect property as well as maintain law and order.

"The terms of engagement for the deployment shall be the constitutional standards enshrined in the Bill of Rights, Articles 238 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, statutory requirements and principles provided at sections 3, 8 (2), 34 (1), 34 (3) and 35 of the Kenya Defence Forces Act," read the notice in part.

The initial gazettement on KDF deployment was done on Tuesday, June 25 and approved by Parliament on Wednesday, June 26.

Notably, the move was challenged by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) who argued that it was unconstitutional.

Nonetheless, the court determined that the deployment was necessary owing to the breach at the Parliament Buildings.

The CS was, therefore, guided by the court to publish the guidelines for the deployment within two days.

In the initial gazette, Duale had not indicated where the officers would be stationed and the timelines for the deployment as required in the Kenya Defence Forces Act.

"The court retains residual powers of oversight over the military deployment on the observance of human rights and this file shall remain open during the course of this Petition to receive and deal with any complaints of violation for as long as the military intervention lasts," read the judgement in part. 

KDF tanks and vehicles at the Nayo Stadium in Nairobi County on June 27, 2024 (left) officers patrolling streets of Nairobi.
KDF tanks and vehicles at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi County on June 27, 2024 (left) officers patrolling streets of Nairobi.
Kenyans.co.ke
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