Cabinet ratifies stringent Security Council measures on gatherings
The Cabinet yesterday unanimously endorsed and ratified the stringent directives issued by the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) governing the conduct of public gatherings.
Interestingly, Deputy President William Ruto who is seen as the main target of the new guidelines, was part of the Cabinet meeting that endorsed the rules.
And as the meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta ratified the far-reaching directives, a fundraiser which was to be presided over by the DP was being violently dispersed by armed police effecting the measures.
A brief dispatched to newsrooms by the Executive Office of the President after the Cabinet meeting said the resolutions had been unanimously agreed upon by the Cabinet.
The brief stated that to institutionalise the prescriptions and directives issued by the NSAC, the Cabinet approved the establishment and immediate operationalisation of the Multi-Agency Team on Public Order comprising representatives from various state and public offices including actors from the security sector, ICT Regulatory Bodies and National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
“The primary term of reference for the Multi-Agency Team on Public Order shall be to monitor, document and enforce compliance with the prescriptions and directives with respect to the conduct of all public meetings and processions; the permitted processes for media broadcasting, publishing and reporting; and the responsible conduct of persons using social media,” read the statement.
The Cabinet considered the prescriptions and directives issued by the NSAC regarding the Preservation of Public Order and Security in the Conduct of Public Gatherings and Processions, Media Reporting and Responsible Conduct of Persons using Social Media.
The Cabinet is reported to have noted with concern that in the last month, and as the Government progressively eased the containment measures put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Kenya had experienced growing political tensions that have exacerbated partisan divides and threatened peace, security and harmony in the country.
“This fast-evolving situation threatens to derail the delivery of the administration’s transformative agenda for the country; as well as jeopardise Kenya’s image and place within the community of nations, which has been recently uplifted by Kenya’s membership of the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member,” said the Cabinet.
Speaking separately, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i urged Kenyans and especially leaders to exercise restraint, saying in the absence of morality and responsibility, force and legislation cannot be effective.
“Now more than ever before in the history of our country we are called upon to exercise restraint.
Let us think about the country. I want to ask all our leaders across the board to think about the country even in the statements and speeches we make,” Matiang’i said.
