26 September 2007
Nairobi — Muslim MPs staged a coup in the House to frustrate a Bill against the war on organised crime.
The MPs said the Government wanted to introduce the Suppression of Terrorism Bill through the back door.
Debate had just started over the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill, 2007, when Dr Ali Abdullahi alerted Deputy Speaker, Mr David Musila, that the quorum was not adequate.
As soon as the Division Bell was rang and Government-friendly MPs started trooping into the chambers, Ali led all Muslim MPs from both sides of the House to storm out to ensure the mandatory membership of 30 was not achieved.
The House was finally forced to prematurely adjourn the proceedings at 5.08pm when it failed to attract enough members as MPs from the Muslim community charted excitedly in the lobby.
Change of title
Before the MPs stormed out, the Chairman of the Departmental Committee for Internal Security, Mr Ramadhan Kajembe, had told the House that the committee was withdrawing the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill for further consultations.
Rising on Standing Order No 21, Kajembe told the Speaker there was no difference between the Suppression of Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill.
What the Government had done was to change the title of the contested anti-terrorism Bill and to re-arrange the same clauses.
As such, said Kajembe, there was need to adequately consult over the anti-organised crime Bill before it could be returned to the House.
Debate on the Prevention of organised crime was two weeks ago initiated and moved by Internal Security minister, Mr John Michuki, who said such law was needed to combat crime.
Since the publication of the Suppression of Terrorism Bill in 2003, it has attracted concerted condemnation from the Muslim community, which has viewed it as a piece of legislation specifically targeted at the community under the guise of fighting terrorism.
Debate over this Bill could not be concluded in the Second Reading because members had strong reservations about its implications if enacted.
The Muslims have also been protesting that the Government was bowing to pressure from the US to introduce the contentious Bill.
The Muslim community has previously demanded that it be unconditionally withdrawn.
In its report to the House over the prevention of Organised Crime Bill, the Kajembe committee observed that the drafters of the Bill borrowed heavily from the Suppression of Terrorism Bill.
The committee was also suspicious on why the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill was being fast tracked when there were other more important Bills.
Kajembe says in his report that the Bill on Prevention of crime was an important piece of legislation, which should not be rushed because it needs inputs from all Kenyans.
Among the stakeholders expected to give more inputs are the National Security Intelligence Service, the Attorney General and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
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