Parliament this week was marked by intense scrutiny of the government’s handling of the Todonyang massacre in Turkana County and significant legislative milestones on land reforms and county financing.
The Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations grilled Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya and Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru over February’s massacre in Todonyang, where over 40 civilians were allegedly killed by armed assailants from Ethiopia. Lawmakers pressed the Ministry on the lack of a strong diplomatic response and the adequacy of border security measures.
CS Tuya confirmed that Kenya had lodged a formal protest with Ethiopia and that the Defence Attaché in Addis Ababa is engaging Ethiopian authorities. She outlined steps to bolster security, including reinforcement of police by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), deployment of aerial surveillance helicopters, and strengthening of border outposts.
“We are committed to increasing military presence and improving rapid response capacity,” Tuya assured MPs. She also revealed plans for a permanent military base in Turkana East, though the process has been delayed due to communal land tenure complexities requiring collaboration with the Turkana County Government and the National Land Commission.
In legislative business, MPs passed the National Land Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, for the second time, addressing President William Ruto’s earlier reservations. The amendments restore the Commission’s mandate to review historical land allocations while imposing strict safeguards and timelines. A five-year window has been set for reviewing grants issued before August 2010, with possible extensions subject to parliamentary approval. Decisions will be gazetted and may be registered in the High Court to enhance accountability.
Meanwhile, President Ruto, speaking at the 2025 Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, signed into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The allocation bill raises counties’ share of national revenue from Sh387.4 billion to Sh415 billion for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, while amendments to public finance laws establish a County Assembly Fund to strengthen financial independence and oversight roles of county assemblies.
Together, the developments highlight Parliament’s dual focus on national security and deepening devolution.
