NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 — The National Assembly will review a technical report on the Nairobi Expressway in a bid to address concerns that the toll road exposes the Parliament to security threats.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ordered the House Security Committee to table a technical report within three weeks after members raised concerns that the road elevated above the existing Uhuru Highway provides a vantage point from where criminals could stage an attack on Parliament.
Kitutu Masaba MP Shadrack Mose said that parliament is a key national institution that requires strategic security considerations.
Mose noted that the security risk could especially become significant during specially sittings when the Head of State presents a State of the Nation Address when heads off all arms of government meet under one roof.
He added that considerable security arrangements needed to be prioritized when executing infrastructure projects near parliament.
“Parliament is the only place where senior state officers convene at the same time with the institution further hosting the entire government branch including the president, the deputy, both houses, chief Justice, the cabinet, the military leadership during the state of the nation address by His Excellency the President,” Mose said as he presented his request for a statement.
He appealed to the Departmental Committee on National Security and Transport to urgently look into the matter and verify the security arrangements that have been incorporated into the Nairobi Expressway with regards to parliamentary precincts.
Mose further called on the involvement of all stakeholders including the Interior Ministry, transport, infrastructures, housing project contractor on building consensus on effective interventions and solution to the security concerns including a possibility of constructing reinforcements along the affected section of the expressed way.
Endebess legislator Robert Pukose said that the security issue is a weighty matter suggesting the erection of a perimeter wall and strategic deployment of extra security officers in the area to secure the area.
“In view of the current situation where we are facing terrorism, you know the Expressway is actually above the parliamentary building and somebody can come with a bazooka hit parliament. I think that is a very critical matter that this house needs to put a lot of seriousness in addressing it,” he said.
Benson Makali Mulu, Kitui Central MP, called on the chairperson of the two committees to summon the relevant senor officers to find ways of addressing the security issue.
However, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro argued that the solution to the security of the parliament rests on the overall security of the country.
He added that he does not believe the construction of the Expressway poses a threat to Parliament.
“I don’t believe security can be guaranteed by being isolationists, it is by making sure that our country within our borders is safe and therefore when Kenya is safe and any other Kenyans are safe, we might never have to mind about being isolated in some corner,” he told colleagues.
While responding to the concerns raised by the legislators, the Chairman of National Administration and Security Committee Peter Mwathi said that the matter was timely and legitimate.
He added that he will take the lead on the matter and report the progress to parliament.
“The best thing I can do is engage the two agencies and bring a comprehensive report that is informed by technical advice from those who are experts in the area. As requested for by Hon Mose we will endeavor to bring the report within 21 days,” he said.
