By Cyrus Ombati
Police in Nairobi have warned of heavy traffic jams and closure of some major roads in Nairobi on Thursday morning. This will allow the military to stage a full and final parade rehearsal at Uhuru Park ahead of Friday’s promulgation of the new constitution.
Police say they will close parts of Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue and Valley Road as the military hardware roll into and out of the park.
The closure will take place between 3am and 10am. A similar closure on Sunday caused massive traffic jam and the situation is expected to worsen on Thursday, being a working day.
The military will stage a full and final parade rehearsal at Uhuru Park on Thursday ahead of Friday’s promulgation of the new constitution. Photo: Collins Kweyu/Standard READ MOREMother held after her three children are found dead Champions Police Bullets firm grip on league summit We should not allow criminalisation of leisure No arrest yet on police officers caught on camera assaulting pool players |
The military will display all their equipment in public on Thursday and Friday. There will be a fly past, march past, guard of honour, military displays among other exercises.
Among the equipment to be displayed include, troop carriers, armoured personnel carriers, tanks, mobile hospitals, radar communicators, planes and some jets that were recently acquired.
On Sunday, Chief of General Staff Gen Jeremiah Kianga led the country’s top security commanders in a colourful rehearsal ahead of Friday fete.
Gen Kianga, who presided over several drills at Uhuru Park, the venue of Friday historical fete said, "We will have a colourful and different parade on that day. The only time we had a similar one was on December 12, 1963," he said.
Gen Kianga addressed a group of joint personnel who will participate in the parade and asked Kenyans to sing loudly the three stanzas of the National Anthem when it is played on Friday.
About 1,000 joint personnel will participate in the parades planned for the event.
Present at the Sunday rehearsals were the Kenya Army Commander Lt Gen Jackson K Tuwei, Navy Commander Maj-Gen Mwathethe, Kenya Air force Commander Major Gen Harold M Tangai and commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere.
AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua, Deputy Prisons Commandant Jackson Njoga and representatives of Kenya Wildlife Service, National Youth Service and Kenya Forestry Service were also present.
Tens of security personnel have been mobilised to beef up security during the promulgation ceremonies.
President Kibaki is expected to lead senior government officials in taking a new oath on the same day pledging to protect the Constitution. Members of Parliament will follow suit the following day at Parliament Buildings.
The Speaker of National Assembly is expected to call for a special session to allow the MPs to swear to the new law.
Foreign leaders have been invited to grace the historic occasion.
