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{
    "id": 1103587,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1103587/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 53,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to support the very active Senator from Nairobi City County in her request for the Statement in relation to the loss of lives arising out of police misconduct. I encourage the distinguished Senator that besides making this request, she should use her office to write to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). I say this because I noted that after the killing of the Kianjokoma brothers in Embu, it is IPOA that took up the matter, investigated it very quickly and as a result, six police officers are in court with a charge of murder. So, IPOA will be very helpful besides the Statement coming to this House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I speak on that, I want to join my colleagues in decrying the increasing cases of use of excessive force by police officers against citizens. The rules and standing orders of the police are very clear that in the case of the police suppressing riots, controlling demonstrations and picketers they are supposed to use rubber bullets, if a bullet must be used at all. That is why the police are issued with truncheons and batons and then guns and bullets. Guns and bullets are used as a measure of a last resort when the police are in danger of being attacked by armed criminals, but not on picketers and demonstrators. The other day when the IG of Police appeared before our Committee he said the majority of policemen and policewomen in this country are very good and I agree with him. I reminded him that Jesus had 12 disciples; 11 were good but it is the last one that caused the whole mess of Christianity. He betrayed Jesus and caused him to be crucified. The police must also be having that last one out of 12 that gives a very bad name to an otherwise good force. The new Constitution changed the structure of the police from a force to a service and we want to see that the police are actually giving the people of Kenya good service. In countries like the United Kingdom (UK), when you are in trouble, you are lost or under threat, when you see a policeman you become relieved. You run to the police officer to protect you. In Kenya, unfortunately, when you are in trouble and you see a policeman your troubles multiply and that should not be the case. We want to encourage the IG of Police, Mr. Mutyambai and his team, that he came in on a reformist agenda. When we vetted him he told us that he was going to leave the police force better than he found it. We want to see that he reforms the police, weeds out the bad elements and makes the police user-friendly to the citizenry of this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}