Kenyan parliament gives extra powers to security organs

Once the legislation has been approved by President Kenyatta police will have the powers to place under tighter surveillance and carry out preventative arrests.Responding to advance criticism of the new security measures, Kenyatta said a lot of thought had gone into defining their scope and targets.

"We have reflected profoundly and interrogated the adequacy of our laws and security institutions in meeting new security demands," he said, "our conclusion is that Kenya must enhance its ability to detect, monitor and eliminate security threat."

The Kenyan leader spoke of ‘an international war’ in and outside Kenya and said there was need to confront highly trained and dangerously armed combatants hiding among ordinary citizens.

Opposition speaks up

Critics fear the government will use the tightened security laws to limit freedom of speech, tap into private conversations and oblige media houses to obtain police authorization before printing photographs of terrorism victims.

Kenya’s main opposition leader Raila Odinga described the new legislation as draconian and threatened to take legal action to prevent parliament from passing it.

"This demonstrates that political activity is going to be controlled and government is becoming dictatorial," said Odinga.

Ruto comes to his boss’ defense

But Deputy President William Ruto rebuffed opposition claims and defended the new security measures.

"The laws we are proposing are supposed to ensure the enjoyment by citizens of our country of the rights to life by making sure that those who want to undermine the right to life, terrorists and criminals, are kept in the right place," he said.