Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has dismissed claims that he presided over the passing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) during his tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly.
In a statement on Thursday, July 24, Muturi clarified that the Act was enacted in 2012 under the Grand Coalition Government, before he assumed the role of the National Assembly Speaker.
Muturi explained that he only oversaw the passage of the Security Laws Amendment Act in 2014, which amended several laws including the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Evidence Act, the Prisons Act, the Sexual Offences Act, and the Immigration Act, among others.
“The Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was enacted in the 10th Parliament of the Grand Coalition government. It is no. 30 of 2012. The Security Laws Amendment Act was passed on 18th December, 2014, by the 11th Parliament, which I presided over. It is no.19 of 2014.
“The latter amended several Acts, among them being the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, the Evidence Act, the Prisons Act, the Sexual Offences Act, the Immigration Act, and many others. Let Murkomen and his ilk check their facts before giving the public their infantile propaganda,” he explained.
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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday alleged that Muturi was speaker when POTA was enacted.
Murkomen claimed that Muturi stood firm as Speaker to ensure the law was passed in the National Assembly.
“Does former speaker of the National Assembly JB Muturi forget he passed this law by hook or crook.
“He was sitting there when this law was passed in the National Assembly, and he stood very firm at that time and said we must have strong security laws that will protect the people of Kenya and protect them against rogue characters who are performing acts of terror,” the interior CS claimed.
