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MPs seek special session to discuss anti-terror swoop

Kibra MP Ken Okoth said they are concerned that law enforcement agencies are committing human rights violations by detaining those arrested in the weekend swoop at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium without charging them in court/FILE

Kibra MP Ken Okoth said they are concerned that law enforcement agencies are committing human rights violations by detaining those arrested in the weekend swoop at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium without charging them in court/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 10 – The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights has petitioned the Speaker of the National Assembly to convene a Special Sitting of the House next Tuesday to discuss the government’s handling of the security crackdown in Eastleigh and profiling of Kenyan Somalis in Nairobi.

Kibra MP Ken Okoth said they are concerned that law enforcement agencies are committing human rights violations by detaining those arrested in the weekend swoop at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium without charging them in court.

“We hope the National Assembly can come with thorough resolutions of how to deal with the case of illegal immigrants in Kenya as well as how to make Kenya safe and secure as opposed to his knee-jerk reaction of Kenyan Somalis’ profiling which goes counter to fundamental freedoms and is a gross violation of human rights,” read the letter addressed to the Leader of Majority and Leader of Minority.

The National Assembly went on a two-week recess last Thursday.

Parliament’s Standing Order 29 which gives the procedure for convening a special sittings of the House states that “whenever during a session the House stands adjourned, whether or not a day has been appointed for the next meeting, the Speaker may, on the request of the Leader of the Majority Party or the Leader of the Minority Party, appoint a day for a special sitting of the House.”

Okoth led MPs in expressing concern for the welfare of those detained after they were denied access to Kasarani and Gigiri Police Stations and the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium which are being used as screening centres.

Ndhiwa MP Agostinho Neto and Seme MP James Nyikal told a news conference at Parliament Buildings that they hope the Special Sitting will formulate solutions on how to deal with illegal immigrants and the counter terrorism.

“The Al-Shabaab will win a moral victory, by depicting Kenyans as anti-Somali and will create another problem within the country that we do not need,” Nyikal stated.

Neto added: “Instead of dealing with the symptoms of this particular disease of insecurity, we will be calling on Parliament to go down and find the root cause even it means firing (Interior Cabinet Secretary) ole Lenku or any other top official in the security docket who is failing in making Kenyans feel secure.”

Matungulu MP Stephen Mule called for a total overhaul of the Immigration Department for failing to be vigilant to curb the entry of illegal immigrants in the country.

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“Kenyans are tired of these issues of Kenyans being killed by people who we don’t know where they came from. It is high time the government takes this a notch higher and deals with the immigrants, deals with the people without identity and also deal with officers especially those who condone this and allow people to come into the country without screening,” added Mule.

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