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{
    "id": 1243524,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1243524/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 201,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Tabitha Mutinda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support my colleague, the great Sen. Kibwana, for bringing up this very good Motion that touches on a very important sector in this country. As MP, the Government has given us a team from the police force, whose role and mandate is to offer protection. It is their mandate as per the Constitution. I personally do appreciate the services of the police. I am a good friend of the police. I have earlier on participated in different corporate social responsibility activities with the police. I take pride in the activity where we built a police post in Mihango, Utawala. The issue that has been tabled by our great sister is with regard to the mental health of the police. Who is a police officer? A police officer is a human being just like you and I. In this year, 2023, we are at a point where we are discussing a great sector of this nation. It is a very important team in this nation. We all know the work that the police do. Therefore, when it comes to mental health matters, they are very critical. We have seen domestic violence occurring in different homes; a wife shooting a husband and vice-versa . We have also seen people being shot by police officers due to depression. The issue of mental health is very key because we are surrounded by the police throughout. Even here in Parliament, we always have police around 24 hours a day. It is important to note that their mental health is very key. These are people who also have families like us. Like any other person, the welfare of any individual is key. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, some of these issues that bring about mental health issues are mostly attributed on how the police sector is handled. Let me speak on the issues of promotions. The due process for promoting officers is at times not adhered to. Many of them works diligently and goes out of their way to do their jobs very well, but at times, they do not get the promotion they deserve. Why should this person not get depressed or demotivated, since the same organization that he or she works for does not recognize his effort? It is a high time that the issue of promotions for the police was keenly adhered to as it is required. I support my senior colleague, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, when he urges my sister, Sen. Kibwana, to take this Motion to the next level of a Bill, so that some of these issues can be dealt with on a long-term basis. The other issue that brings about mental health issues is the issue of police transfers. How on earth do you wake up as the OCS or OCPD of that station and move your juniors left, right and centre or from point ‘A’ to ‘B’ yet they have their families? I have an example of a case where a police officer was transferred and yet his children were doing the final exams. The officer explained himself, but the officer in charge did not care at all. The issue of transfers of police officers needs to be fair. At times, it is done out of emotions. Since you are the boss, then you just wake up and decide that next week, they will be in a different destination of this country. Unplanned transfer of police officers brings about issues of mental health. It is very saddening."
}