President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law the Security Laws (Amendment) Act 2014 despite spirited opposition by a section of politicians, saying that it does not contradict the Constitution. Mr Kenyatta said all the contentious issues that had been raised in debate were addressed through amendments. “I am confident that you will find that there is nothing in this law that goes against the Bill of Rights or any provision of the Constitution,” he said. “Its intent is to protect the lives and property of all.”
He urged Kenyans to take time to read and understand the new law, regretting that the chaotic scenes that attended its passing prevented many from following the proceedings. The law was passed on December 18 in an acrimonious special session of the National Assembly that at one point degenerated into a brawl as opposition lawmakers attempted to prevent the Bill’s passing.
The assent of the law now means that the National Police Service will approve the publication or broadcast of information relating to investigation on terrorism and publication of photographs of victims of terrorist attacks. Publication without approval will attract a Sh5 million fine or a three-year jail term.
Mr Kenyatta said that the new law gives security actors a firm institutional framework for dealing with terrorism. The government has said that the changes were necessary to enable it tackle the terror threat of Somalia’s Al Shabaab group, which is responsible for hundreds of deaths in the last few years.
“We must all remember that we are still at war and still vulnerable to terror attacks,” Mr Kenyatta said in a televised address after signing the law. Civil societies and the opposition have said that the changes and the manner in which the law was passed in Parliament were unconstitutional.
