Days after the High Court affirmed the deployment of the navy to quell protests throughout the nation, The Standard can now reveal how the deployment technique seemed like.
President William Ruto, on Tuesday final week, deployed two firms of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers and positioning two further navy firms on standby at Kahawa Barracks to handle the wave of protests.
In what appeared to threaten a breach of safety and paralysis of enterprise throughout the nation, Ruto, by way of the CS for Defence, Aden Duale, made the transfer, rubbing the opposition and a piece of rights teams the flawed means.
“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 mentioned in a gazette discover on Tuesday.
Officers from Kahawa Barracks, navy intelligence (Karen), and particular forces from the Moi Air Base (MAB) Sports Camp in Ngong, Kajiado County, have been a part of the deployment and have been to collaborate with the police to put an finish to riots within the metropolis.
“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,” mentioned a navy supply.
Several navy officers from Kahawa Barracks have been stationed at Parliament buildings and one other set at State House to help the overwhelmed police drive.
“The team from Kahawa was in charge of Nairobi, and good enough, the barracks offer many courses and can handle many things,” a supply from the navy intimated.
Other key places, together with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, and the State Lodges, have been closely guarded by the KDF. The models have been armed with armored automobiles, machine weapons, G3 rifles, AK-47s, and Belgian SCARs.
State House and navy sources mentioned that three further firms have been on standby at Kahawa Barracks, ready to be part of the sector if essential.
“A military company has between 100 and 300 officers, depending on the operation scope,” a high official mentioned.
The particular forces from MAB Ngong have been stationed at Langata Barracks and carried out quick patrols, with officers noticed at Commercial, Moi Avenue, and Langata Road throughout the protests.
Law scholar Peter Kagwanja emphasised the constitutional limitations of navy deployment for home protests.
“You cannot deploy the military to the streets. Our law is very clear that the military will only deal with external threats,” Kagwanja said.
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He warned that deploying the navy in civilian protests is akin to a coup, because the navy is skilled for fight, not civilian management.
On Thursday, nonetheless, the High Court dominated that the federal government can deploy the navy to help the police in quelling violent protests.
This is after the Law Society of Kenya filed an affidavit on the High Court, the place they cited Article 241 of the Constitution, which restricts navy deployment to emergencies or to restore peace, each requiring National Assembly approval.
