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{
    "id": 1230542,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1230542/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 127,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "they came through the fence of the hospital. They perhaps just went to rescue one of their own who was hurt and could not explain the gunshot wounds. The reason that happened, notwithstanding the presence of a few police officers who were on site at that time, was the determination by the commanding officer on site that a shoot-out inside that facility would have caused fatalities on patients. That gave a leeway for the rescue to succeed. I can confirm to the House that this person had been on police radar even before this attack. We are on him. We have some leads. We believe we shall arrest him as soon as possible. The Member for Turkana South raised the other issue. It was on the capacity of our police agencies to maintain law and order. I am persuaded that Kenya has enough police officers and enough wherewithal to handle all our challenges, including the challenges we are facing in northern Kenya. However, it is the position of this Government that there is need to reform our national security organs to make sure they respond better to our threats. That is why one of the first acts His Excellency the President undertook was to institute a Presidential Task Force on reforming the National Police Service. That is an admission that there is need to reform around command, efficiency, and operational sophistication to make sure the gaps we continue to encounter in our law enforcement of our internal security are resolved. Very shortly, that Taskforce will present its findings. The Government has committed to implement all the recommendations, without exception, that would come from that Taskforce. That includes changing the entire command of the NPS, the terms under which one becomes a commander of any level and tying command to success, results and deliverables. That is so that you do not become a county commander or a regional commander for life and yet, there are no results and people have insecurity in your area. We will make it time bound and tied to results. Even as we wait for those recommendations, we are continually addressing command issues to ensure efficiency. Even this afternoon, the Government and the NPS will be announcing changes in the top command of the NPS, starting with the appointment of the Deputy Inspector-General of the NPS, whose recruitment process is complete. We have had a gap there for a long time because the immediate former Deputy IG of Police was indisposed. From this afternoon, that gap is going to be filled. That will help the IG to respond a little better and quicker even as we await the other reforms. I have one other last matter, the one raised around the measures we are taking to make sure the gaps we are having are sealed. One, the House may want to know that the Government started the Police Equipment Modernisation Programme in 2014. It ran for three to four years but stopped after that. It was to the tune of Ksh10 billion a year, and it really helped improve security at that time. Due to the collapse of that funding programme, we have had issues around our ability to make Kenya safer. What this administration has done is to revive the Police Equipment Modernisation Programme. For the next three years, the Government of Kenya will spend Ksh20 billion to ensure that we modernise our equipment. I am happy to return here in three months if the House requires so. By that time - three months from now - I expect to have revived the Police Air Wing that is completely dead. I intend to have acquired at least three gunship helicopters for the NPS, so that we can stop depending on the military because they also have their national duty to perform. I intend to acquire some unmanned armoured vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Going forward, we will increasingly yield the benefits of technology-driven and intelligence-driven operations. I am happy to come back and report progress on this after a few months, at the request of the House. Hon. Speaker, that is it. If I have left out anything, I will be reminded, but…"
}