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"id": 1230651,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1230651/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration",
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"content": "The prosecution went back to court and obtained a warrant of arrest. We are still looking for this suspect. Security agencies are yet to track him. I assure the Member for Kirinyaga Central and the House that criminal investigations are never closed. We are actively looking for this suspect with a view to arresting him in line with the arrest warrant in our possession and produce him in court for prosecution. Hon. Speaker, with regard to the next Question from the same Member, I would like to respond as follows: Sometime in the middle of last year, there were increasing incidents of urban crime. The most affected urban centre was Nairobi. By the time this administration was sworn into office around mid-September, there was a huge crisis in this City arising out of terror gangs. Knife-wielding gangs of youths, some armed with pistols and other crude weapons, were terrorising and robbing people, day and night, in many parts of the country. We have been able to drastically contain that problem in Nairobi through change of command and also through change of strategy and deployments by using special units within the NPS. By and large, I am happy that crime has gone down by nearly more than 60 per cent, if not more, based on the statistics we are getting. That matter is under control. We are also aware that there have been some criminal gangs terrorising people in Nakuru. There is a gang called ‘Confirm ’ . We have neutralised that threat because three or four months ago, it was a real menace. We have arrested the ring-leaders and some of them have been arraigned in court. Currently, the situation is under control. I can also report that in the process, we had to again change the command of Nakuru County to make sure that we inject fresh leadership and a new team. Sometimes when officers stay in one area for a long time, they become a bit lethargic. That is why we have a policy that no officer or commander should stay in one station for more than three years to allow them to not only serve in various parts of the country, but also to ensure that they do not get too involved in local communities and start being lethargic and unprofessional. The strategies that we are applying to deal with the problem of organised gangs include intelligence-led investigations, which are working very well. Unfortunately, the downside is that intelligence-led investigations take some time, but whenever we zero in on a suspect, we have enough evidence and intelligence that can help us deal with the issue. In fact, that is the approach we are using with regard to the issue of banditry that was raised earlier. Currently, we have on our radar very high-ranking suspects within the banditry network. We believe that we have enough information. Perhaps once we start striking the network, it will come down. We needed to take a bit of time to be sure that we have the right information that can help us nip the problem in the bud. Other than that, we are investing heavily in special units to allow police assigned to general duties to concentrate on the general maintenance of order. Where we have organised crime, organised gangs, banditry, terrorism, trafficking in drugs and other sophisticated crimes, we are using formed units, including the Rapid Deployment Unit, the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) for livestock, the Special Operations Group (SOG), which has done a great job in neutralising some of the most complicated security threats, especially in the counter-terrorism efforts, and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team that deals with urban close-range crime prevention and combating. We have SWAT teams for male and female officers who do not operate in uniform. They are helping us a great deal to contain urban crime. Based on the information that the Member has raised about Kagumo Town, I will personally discuss with the police command in Kagumo, so that we can put in place a programme to make sure that as we have done in Nairobi and increasingly in Nakuru, we also exterminate that criminal gang before it takes over Kagumo Town. Citizens in this country should be free and not live under the terror of criminals. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}