Kenya president signs controversial anti-terror bill
Iran Press TV
Fri Dec 19, 2014 3:56PM GMT
Kenyan president has signed a controversial security bill into law, saying it will be of great help in fighting the rising threat of terrorism.
The anti-terror law is just aimed at safeguarding the lives and property of Kenyan citizens and does not infringe upon the constitutional Bill of Rights, said Uhuru Kenyatta during a televised speech on Friday.
'We must all remember that we are still at war and still vulnerable to terror attacks,' he added.
This is while rights groups and the opposition say the bill breaches freedoms and the rights of citizens in the violence-ravaged African country.
'This is a serious assault on the freedoms that Kenyans are enjoying today," said Moses Wetangula, an opposition leader.
Earlier on Thursday, the bill was passed by Kenyan lawmakers after a heated debate in the parliament prompted a brawl between opposition and pro-government MPs.
The new bill grants authorities sweeping powers to clamp down on terror suspects in a country facing a spate of attacks by Somalia-based al-Shabab militants.
Based on the approved bill, a number of controversial measures can be taken, including extending the time police can keep terror suspects in custody from the current 90 days to nearly a year, increasing sentences and giving more powers to tap phones.
Additionally, the legislation stipulates that journalists can be also jailed for up to three years if their reports "undermine investigations or security operations relating to terrorism" or if they publish images of terror victims without permission from the police.
Kenya currently has over 3,000 soldiers stationed in southern Somalia, where they have been battling al-Shabab militants. The country sent troops into Somalia in late 2011, after the militant group carried out a series of raids in Kenya.
FNR/HMV/SS
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
