The National Assembly on Wednesday June 26, 2024 approved the Deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to support National Police Service in dealing with anti-Finance Bill protests in the country.

Approval of soldiers deployment came a day after Defence cabinet secretary Aden Duale gazetted the deployment of the KDF soldiers to help in dealing with ‘occupy parliament’ protests.

This was after several people were killed on Tuesday as protesters stormed parliament buildings to put pressure on MPs to reject the Finance Bill.

Reports indicate that Kenya Kwanza and Azimio MPs clashed in a heated debate over the motion to deploy KDF over anti-Finance Bill protests.

At the same time, most Azimio MPs maintained that they were against the decision to deploy the soldiers in different parts of the country to quell ‘reject Finance Bill’ demonstrations. 

For instance, Rarieda MP  Otiende Amollo lamented that the deployment of KDF soldiers is the same as making Kenya a military State.

“Without Media, Without Most Members, Without Proper Debate, In A Record 30Mins, National Assembly Has Just Made Kenya A Military State; Authorizing Deployment Of KDF Without Indicating Where, Why Or For What Period, & Did So Retrospectively Contra A 241(3)(c). God Bless Us!” Otiende Amollo stated. 

Meanwhile the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has sued Defence cabinet secretary (CS) Aden Duale and the National Assembly over the deployment of KDF soldiers to deal with anti-Finance Bill protesters.

LSK has urged the court to suspend the deployment, until the case filed against CS Duale and the National Assembly is heard and determined.