Speaker of the Senate Ekwee Ethuro has ordered investigations into why police officers have been barricading roads around Parliament Buildings.

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Wednesday, police prevented motorists and pedestrians from using parts of Harambee Avenue and Parliament Road, when the Senate opened for a special sitting to debate the controversial amendments to the election laws.

Ethuro ordered removal of the barriers and authorised an investigation by Senate’s National Security and Foreign Relations Committee.

“This is not a police state. This is a democracy,” he said in a ruling after requests to adjourn over the police presence.

“The instructions were very clear that we don’t need any police presence. Even today when I came in and I saw the police, I called the Cabinet Secretary for Interior. The confusion may be on the basis of parliamentary precincts,” Ethuro ruled.