Lawyers protest withdrawal of Cord leaders security detail

East Africa Law Society protests ‘mysterious’ withdrawal of legislators’ security detail
Updated Wednesday, July 31st 2013 at 13:01 GMT +3

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama. He is among legislators whose body guardshave allegedly been withdrawn. (Photo:Evans Habil/Standard)

By Standard Digital Reporter

Nairobi, Kenya: Lawyers from East Africa have raised a red flag following alleged withdrawal of security detail of opposition leaders in Kenya.

East Africa Law Society (EALS) President James Aggrey Mwamu accused the Government of dragging the country back to its dark days following media reports of dispossession of some leaders’ body guards.

Mwamu said that media reports that other leaders in the Opposition whose security detail have been recalled include Senators Johnstone Muthama, Otieno Kajwang, Janet Ongera and Kisumu Deputy GovernorRuth Odinga.

He warned that the country may plunge into chaos should anything happen to the leaders’ whose security detail have been withdrawn mysteriously.

“The Government is ill-advised to recall or dispossess bodyguards of leaders after a hotly contested General Election,” Mwamu said.

The EALS President said that the Government of Kenya should not be paranoid when criticized.

“Constructive criticisms are not in bad faith…multi-party elections over 20 years ago opened democratic space in the country,” Mwamu said.

Mwamu who was speaking in Kenya called on the State to uphold the Constitution and rule of law.

“Kenya has come a long way…democratic space must be protected in the wake of the new Constitutional dispensation,” Mwamu said.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s driver is also reported to have been recalled.

“We are perturbed the driver of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been recalled for alleged redeployment,” Mwamu said.

Philip Juma had been Odinga’s driver over the past 14 years.

A section of the media reported that Commissioner General of Prisons Isaiah Osugo confirmed that all officers attached to politicians had been recalled following a directive from the Office of the President.

“There was a circular issued from the security committee that prisons officers currently working as bodyguards to VIPs are recalled. The mandate of the Prisons Department is to provide security to prisoners and correctional facilities and that is why they have been recalled to serve in accordance to the mandate of the department,” Osugo was quoted in a mainstream media house Wednesday.