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{
    "id": 111923,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/111923/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 451,
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    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have been talking about police reforms. The Government has been dilly-dallying and forming a committee after another. This Constitution introduces very fundamental reforms to the police force; making sure that there is coordination between the Administration Police (AP) and the Regular Police by making sure that they are under one head and that the hiring, disciplinary and everything are also under one body. This introduces harmony. For example, we do not hear of the Armed Forces having too many arms. We know that they have the Navy, the Army and the Air Force, yet we hear of no quarrels. The reason we have had a dysfunctional system with the Regular Police and the AP is because they do not report to the same chain of command. This is being revolutionalized here. Some of the reasons why we had problems after the last general election were: One, lack of confidence in the courts, two, failure by our security forces and the electoral system failed us. All those institutions are going to be reborn through this new Constitution. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would urge hon. Members that even if there are things that you do not agree with, remember that here in the House we are 222 but in the country we are 40 million. It is very difficult and impossible to harmonize each and every view. So, if this document meets the threshold of a document we can live with, I would urge that we leave it and pass it as it is. As a Member of the Select Committee, I know that the Committee of Experts (CoE) changed some of the things we had proposed. Obviously, as a human being, the first reaction is irritation. But we must realize that Kenya does not belong to us alone; not even as Members of Parliament. Therefore, if Kenyans and others we chose in the CoE bring their expertise and amend certain things, we should be able to live with it. Just like when we propose laws here, those who have sent us allow us to do that and believe in it. The burden or task we have is to make a Constitution which our worst enemies would feel comfortable with. This is because tomorrow, you may be standing in the position you think your enemy is in. If you make any oppressive law or clause in a Constitution, tomorrow, you may be the one to suffer that oppression. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have the language that has been circulating about majorities and minorities. Those are not permanent features. The demographies are changing. Today’s majorities will be tomorrow’s minorities and today’s minorities will be tomorrow’s majorities. This Constitution must be made devoid of partisan interests. Know that you may bequeath to your loved ones a burden while trying to settle scores with somebody else. I want to repeat that let us all join hands and pass a Constitution that even our worst enemies would be comfortable with."
}