Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has outlined the scope and specifics of the deployment of Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) after a court order.
In a gazette notice issued on Friday, Duale announced that the deployment will cover all 47 counties in Kenya in response to what he called threats to national security planned and orchestrated through various platforms in the cyber space.
According to the Defense Chief, the KDF soldiers will specifically be deployed in areas where critical installations and infrastructure are located.
“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,” noted Duale.
In terms of the duration of KDF deployment, CS Duale stated that the soldiers will remain on the ground until normalcy is restored.
His notice came a day after Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued an order requiring the state to specify the scope and terms of the KDF deployment.
In his ruling on a case challenging the KDF deployment, the High Court Judge noted that the move was in order to protect key installations amid the tension surrounding the anti-tax protests.
Also Read: High Court Rules on KDF Deployment Amid Protests
However, he maintained that the government should have made details about the reason and extent of military intervention clear to the public.
He went on to issue a 48-hours timeline for the Defense CS to specify the details.
“The public was not fully appraised of the extent of the military intervention hence suspicion,” ruled Justice Mugambi on the petition filed by the Law Society of Kenya.
Jitters About KDF Presence
Despite the government’s stance insisting that the deployment was justifiable, some entities including the LSK and the Azimio la Umoja Coalition were opposed to the move.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo has been on record opposing the deployment arguing that the move was aimed at intimidating and suppressing protesters.
Also Read: LSK Pokes Holes in Court Verdict on KDF Deployment
On their part, members of the opposition faction took issue with the way the debate to approve KDF deployment was conducted.
On Thursday, June 27, Kenyans were treated to a spectacle when KDF troops for the first time in years were seen patrolling the streets of Nairobi.
The soldiers, armed with sophisticated riffles and armored vehicles, traversed different streets of the city on Thursday at time the youthful protesters had vowed to march towards State House.
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