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{
    "id": 324547,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/324547/?format=api",
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    "content": "(Mr. ole Metito): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On Tuesday, 25th September, 2012, I promised this House to issue a Ministerial Statement on the recent increase in demonstrations ending up in Parliament buildings. It was noted that, at times, the demonstrators block the gates and make it difficult for Members to access Parliament and some even hurl abuses at hon. Members. This portends a great danger, especially when the country is facing threats of terrorism. I wish to state the following. Since the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which gave people the right to demonstrate, picket and present petitions to authorities under Article 37, more and more groups of people have been organizing and participating in demonstrations for various reasons. Within Nairobi City, it has become the practice of demonstrators to use Harambee Avenue where key Government buildings like the Office of the President, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Office of the Vice-President and Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament, the High Court and the Police Headquarters, among others, are located as they know this is the nerve centre of the Government and they want to be listened to by the authorities. The demonstrators have invariably ended up at the Parliament Buildings gates. Most of these groups have been peaceful. However, and in view of the current situation of threats within and without Nairobi, the demonstrations have occasioned a peculiar security concern to Parliament, the Police and other key stakeholders. Similarly, it has been noted that though it is a requirement of the Public Order Act for any person(s) planning such demonstrations to notify the local police station for security reasons, some organizers do not comply with this requirement. With due consideration to the current security concerns in Kenya and the world over, we propose that this august House considers the following recommendations in order to make Parliament, expected County Assembly premises or Governor’s Offices and other Government installations secure while at the same time safeguarding the citizens’ rights as stipulated by Article 37 of the Constitution. (1) The Public Order Act be amended as a matter of priority to give effect to Article 24 of the Constitution and without infringing on the Bill of Rights, to make it mandatory for organizers of such demonstrations to notify the police of such intentions and agree on the venue to converge and the route to be used to enable the police prepare and provide appropriate security."
}