Lower House to pass Counter-Terrorism Act in historic move to fight Al-Shabaab

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Lower House is today passing the Counter-Terrorism Act in a sweeping move to empower the government to fight terrorism about six years after the bill was first introduced.

The Ministry of Security tabled the Bill before the Lower House on August 30, 2017, and it came for the First Reading on November 22 of the same year.

The passage of the Bill today by the Lower House follows concerted efforts by Villa Somalia to seek legal frameworks to fight Al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups in the country. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has in the recent past urged parliament and the cabinet to expedite the passage of laws to enable his government to win the war against terrorism.

The Bill will then move to the Senate which will either approve as it is, propose amendments and eventually transmit it to the President for signing.

Another related bill for passage today is the Data Protection Act which among others empowers the government to track terror financing and legally acquire information necessary to fight terrorism.

The Lower House will also pass the Environment Protection Act.