The impact of international terrorism on counter-terrorism legislation (the Kenya suppression of terrorism bill 2003)

Abstract

This work assesses the impact of international terrorism on counter-terrorism legislation with specific focus on the Kenya Suppression of Terrorism Bill (2003). It analyses its contents and questions the effectiveness of the legislation's provisions in tackling terrorism. It also studies the forces behind the publication of the bill, both local and foreign and probes the role those factors played in shaping the anti-terrorism bill.

Relying on secondary data, we define the meaning of terrorism, a loosely-bound term, in line with its common usage in international anti-terrorism conventions, which are themselves varied but largely share key elements on what comprises the crime of terrorism. We then elaborate the difference between 'modem terrorism' and 'old terrorism.' The basic difference being the increasing sophistication in the modus operandi between the former and the later also distinguished by a loose time line.

Whether Kenya's anti-terrorism response as contained in the legislation, notably after the September 11 US attacks, addresses to its security imperatives and whether such strategies were imposed or developed domestically are the pivots of this study'S objectives. Our analysis is based upon the Game Theory which has two tasks; to present a social conflict as a game and to resolve it.