Nairobi — Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and his Interior counterpart Kindiki Kithure will on Thursday appear before a joint Parliamentary committee on Defense, Intelligence and Foreign affairs to answer to queries concerning deployment of Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) in the North Rift region.
The two Cabinet Secretaries will be expected to explain the progress made so far, since the officers were deployed to complement the police operation against bandit attacks
On February 13, President William Ruto announced the start of a major operation to mop up illegal arms in the North Rift.
Ruto said the security operation will be conducted by a multi-agency security team including officers drawn from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The Head of State stated that he had instructed Defense CS Aden Duale and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki to draw a joint strategy.
He said the operation will seek to end banditry that has rocked parts of the country including the Kerio Valley Belt.
President's directive was received with mixed reactions from the public and members of independent organizations such as the Law Society of Kenya who argued that the deployment of KDF was hurriedly done.
LSK faulted the government for not seeking the approval of the National Assembly.
The society's President Eric Theuri pointed out to Article 241(3) of the constitution which stipulates that KDF troops may be deployed to restore peace in any part of Kenya affected by unrest or instability only with the approval of the National Assembly.
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"Even as the government takes measures to restore peace and security in the areas mentioned above, it cannot employ extra-constitutional means," he said.
"Therefore, it is fully within the remit of Article 241(3) (c) of the Constitution," Theuri added.
LSK mentioned that the operation in the six counties of Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Baringo, Pokot and Laikipia was not an emergency.
On Wednesday while appearing before the Senate Security and Cohesion Committee, Interior CS Kindiki said that security troops will remain in the war-torn Northern Kenya on a permanent basis to ensure economic prosperity in the region.
The CS stated that he is confident President William Ruto's administration will silence banditry in the prone areas.
The Interior boss told Senators that the disarmament is yet to begin despite the amnesty period having ended.
Bandits and cattle rustlers have in the recent weeks wreaked havoc in the North Rift region leading to loss of lives, loss of livestock and displacement of people with the counties of Baringo, Samburu, Turkana and Elgeyo Marakwet being the most affected.
