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{
    "id": 1121206,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1121206/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 342,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "In as much we want police officers to display their identification, there is a proposal to curb extrajudicial killings. The National Police Service (NPS) has a budget that is approved by Parliament. So, why can it not ensure that every police officer wears a body camera? This will help to record and retrieve a footage incase an incident. We do not want to convict the police who might shoot in self-defense, although they are trained to use rubber bullets. Madam Temporary Speaker, so that we do not condemn the police unheard, it is important that they wear body camera so that if they are arresting a person or when there is a shootout, we can retrieve the footage. It can be admissible in court so that it shows whether the police officer, at that point, committed the offense or it was an act of self- defense. The police officers should introduce video or body camera and ensure that they are worn at all times. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is also the issue of International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Under Article 2(6), Kenya ratified the United Nations (UN) convention. So, Kenya is out rightly violating the UN convention on issues of enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings. So, Kenya must be called out. The Attorney-General should advise the Executive that the moment they violate that treaty, there are consequences. I am passionate about this having been one of the pioneers of this process. We need to operationalize the National Coroners Service Act and The Prevention of Torture Act. When a person dies, it will become mandatory to do a postmortem and forensic analysis so that we do not say that the police have killed. We need to know whether the bullet had been serialized. We were told the other day that DCI headquarters had a modern laboratory that can do forensic analysis. Madam Temporary Speaker, my final point, because I wanted to be short and sweet, is the issue of The Witness Protection Act. If witnesses who report a police officers who has participated in extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances are not put on protection under the Witness Protection Act, it becomes hard. So, I ask the Attorney-General to move with speed and ensure that there is witness protection. We want those who witnessed the murder of Kianjokoma brothers protected. We want those who saw Prof. Nadwa being abducted allegedly by security officers, protected. Witness Protection Fund should be operationalized. We should have safe houses in instances where serious crimes have been committed. Therefore, as I support this report, it is important that we operationalize witness protection fund because Kenya has enough money. Madam Temporary Speaker, when you meet the victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, they do not have fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters yet they are Kenyans. What is hard in arresting these people and taking them through a judicial process and convicting them? If they have to be executed, it should be done with judicial authority."
}