Aden Duale Orders Nationwide Deployment of KDF to Aid Police

• The national government, through a gazette notice, announced the deployment of KDF to all 47 counties to support the National Police Service amidst violent protests
• Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale stated that the KDF's role includes protecting critical installations, preserving life, and maintaining law and order
• The deployment, as per Duale, is guided by constitutional standards and statutory requirements, ensuring adherence to human rights and legal principles
• He said the KDF will remain deployed until normalcy is restored, operating under the provisions of the Kenya Defence Forces Act and the Constitution of Kenya, 2010

CHECK OUT: No Location Limits! Master Copywriting from Anywhere in Kenya with Our Online Course. Enroll & Get Started Today!

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - The national government has deployed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) across all 47 counties following the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.

Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale said the KDF would be on duty until normalcy is restored. Photo: Luis Tato. Source: Getty Images

In a gazette notice dated Friday, June 28, Cabinet Secretary for Defence and Chairperson of the Defence Council Aden Duale said the military would be deployed to the rest of the country.

Duale said the military would support the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by violent protests in various parts of the country.

The CS explained that the KDF would protect critical installations across the country and assist in preserving life while maintaining law and order.

"Based on the prevailing threats to national security planned and orchestrated through various platforms in the cyber space, the deployment will cover the Forty-Seven Counties within the Republic of Kenya where critical installations and infrastructure are located in order to assist the National Police Service preserve life, preserve the internal security of the State, protect property as well as maintain law and order,"read the notice.

How long will KDF be in Kenyan streets

Citing the orders issued by the High Court, notified the public that the military would be guided by constitutional standards enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

He revealed that the KDF would only return to the barracks after normalcy was restored across the country.

"The terms of engagement for the deployment shall be the constitutional standards enshrined in the Bill of Rights, Articles 238 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, statutory requirements and principles provided at sections 3, 8 (2), 34 (1), 34 (3) and 35 of the Kenya Defence Forces Act. The deployment shall continue until normalcy is restored," he added.

Have the MPs approved KDF deployment?

Members of Parliament were urgently summoned back to the House to authorise the deployment of KDF to help prevent further protests despite recently being notified of a two-week recess.

On Tuesday, June 25, the Defence Council formally requested Parliament's approval for soldiers to bolster security efforts in response to escalating tensions during ongoing protests over the finance bill.

The special session was convened hours ahead of the scheduled #occupystatehouse demonstration planned for Thursday, June 27.