This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, the National Assembly waded into the Kenya-Somalia maritime border row, urging the government to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Majority Leader Aden Duale and Minority Leader John Mbadi tabled a jointly-signed notice of motion to discuss the matter, demonstrating the House's unity over the dispute.
The lawmakers proceeded on their one-month recess, but the matter will be discussed when Parliament resumes.
According to the motion, the two leaders want the government to explore other lawful and constitutional mechanisms to protect Kenyan territory, including diplomacy and dispute resolution mechanisms available under the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), and East African Community (EAC).
They also want the Kenya government to engage the Federal Government of Somalia to solve the maritime boundary row and register its protest to the United Nations.
Kenya could lose up to 100,000 square kilometres of sea, thought to contain huge amounts of hydrocarbons, if the International Court of Justice (ICJ) agrees with Somalia's claim to redraw the maritime boundary.
The hearing of the dispute between the two countries will start on September 9 and run through to September 13 at the ICJ in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Kenya insists that the marine boundary is determined by a parallel line of latitude to the east, as per the standards set by the colonial powers.
