Deployment Of KDF In Anti-Finance Bill Protests Is Allowed- Court Rules

The High Court has allowed the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers to provide assistance to the police in quelling unrest as a result of the anti-Finance Bill protests.

However, in its ruling on Thursday evening, June 27, the High Court gave the government two days to state the scope, duration and areas of military intervention.

Speaking to Viral Tea, a source who has been following the matter detailed that the court declined to declare the deployment unconstitutional, but the government must share details on where the KDF will be deployed, what they will be expected to do and the duration of that deployment.

This is so that the members of the public do not feel deprived of their rights.

The KDF was deployed in the streets of Nairobi and was seen protecting the State Houses of Nakuru and Kisumu. In Nairobi, the heavily armed soldiers with armoured cars and tankers made routine patrols and came face-to-face with protestors along Moi Avenue.

In one such video, the officers were seen aboard a vehicle snaking through Tom Mboya Avenue flanked by hundreds of protesters who cheered their presence.

KDF soldiers have been deployed in Nairobi as the government moves to shore up security, acting on planned demonstrations after a section of Kenyans threatened to march to State House to protest despite President William Ruto withdrawing the Finance Bill, 2024.

This move was in response to Members of Parliament approving the deployment of KDF officers to support the police during the anti-Finance Bill protests.

However, this was challenged in court by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) which filed a petition challenging the legality of the deployment of KDF officers during protests and urged the court to suspend the move.

Judiciary's National Blooper

Meanwhile, the Judiciary suffered a moment of national embarrassment during the highly-anticipated ruling. As of 6.45 pm, the High Court, which had earlier in the day boasted about the 1,000 number of participants in the virtual court session, encountered numerous technical difficulties. These issues forced the court to halt the broadcast and restart it.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi, who was delivering the ruling, experienced a sudden microphone failure. In the televised session, the Judge's visible frustration was clear as he tried to resume the broadcast. 

The Zoom call, which had approximately 800 participants, saw attendees vocally expressing their frustration over the muted microphone.

The hitches came as the ruling that was first expected to be released at 3 pm was moved to 5 pm and eventually, the ruling started being released at about 6:30 pm.

This incident comes just a few months after the Judiciary transitioned to digital operations. In March, Chief Justice Martha Koome oversaw the launch of the e-filing system across all courts.

The Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi. /FILE

This event also introduced the Data Tracking Dashboard and the Cause List Portal, marking significant advancements in the court's digital infrastructure. The electronic system, initially launched by former Chief Justice David Maraga, has been pivotal in streamlining court processes.

Chief Justice Koome's announcement in March 2023 detailed plans to roll out electronic case filing to all court stations nationwide. This followed a successful implementation in Nairobi, setting a precedent for the rest of the country.