The Defense Minister was speaking yesterday in a National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) stakeholder’s workshop to review and amend the security sector reforms as per the peace agreement.

The workshop was organized to discuss proposed amendments presented by the NCAC and receive feedback and inputs from the stakeholders, who are drawn from the security forces, the parties to the 2015 Peace Agreement, civil society organizations, United Nations and various other experts.

The laws include the SPLA Act (2009), the Police Service Act (2011), National Security Act (2014), the Prisons Service Act (2011), and the Wildlife Act (2011).

Kuol Manyang Juuk, who officially opened the one-day forum said, “The fact that we have come thus far, despite the delays hitherto encountered, demonstrates our collective commitments not only to the transformation of the security forces, but also to the honest quest for peace, security and development in this country. Those are fundamental steps towards the implementation of the ARCSS,” he said.

“The review of all the documents related to the security sector is of the utmost priority. This is because there is an urgent need to accelerate and rectify all the amendments and make them into functional laws and transform the security forces into a professional and disciplined force,” he added.

The Minister called on the Parties and stakeholders to agree on timelines to submit their proposals in order to accelerate the constitutional amendment process.

JMEC deputy chairperson, Augustino Njoroge, said NCAC consults with all stakeholders including security institutions in order to get comprehensive views of the people.

He reiterated that the committee is done with constitutional amendments, Political Parties Act and Elections Act. “As you are aware NCAC (National Constitutional Amendment Committee) is mandated to draft amendments to the security laws including the SPLA Act, Police Act, National security Act, Prison Act, and Wildlife Act to confirm them into the agreement,” Njoroge said.

“In the process of developing amendments to the laws, the Committee adopted a very participatory process which includes consultations with the security institutions and holding an experts meeting,” he said.

The Committee, chaired by constitutional lawyer Mr. Gichira Kibara, will thereafter consider the input by the stakeholders and where necessary revise the proposed amendments before incorporating them into the draft bills to be presented to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

The amendments will also be presented to the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) for debate and subsequent enactment

Via Gurtong