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{
    "id": 1269495,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1269495/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kisumu East, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Rozaah Buyu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "are subscribed in this Constitution, there is no Kenyan who has been left behind. In cases where there has been noticed discrimination, this Constitution has clauses that talk about affirmative action so that every Kenyan is brought up to as near equal to other Kenyans as possible. In other words, there is no Kenyan who is less of a Kenyan. Secondly, in order to mitigate against situations like the bloodshed of 2007 and 2008, this Constitution, in Article 244, introduced the National Police Service - and radically so - to replace the Kenya Police Force that existed previously. The framers of this Constitution recognised the fact that in 2007 and 2008, the defunct Kenya Police Force brutalised Kenyans and a lot of lives were lost as a result. Under Article 244(c) specifically, the National Police Service is required to comply with the constitutional standards of human rights and fundamental freedoms. One such freedom as enshrined under Article 37 of this Constitution is that every Kenyan has a right, and must be given an opportunity, to picket and demonstrate if they so wish. An honourable Member said that we should not overlook the “peacefully” or “peaceably” and “unarmed”. I stand here to say that in the recent past, all the maandamo or demonstrations that had no police presence ended up being very peaceful. One such demonstration happened in Siaya and was covered in our local television stations. Another such demonstration happened in Kisumu West Constituency two weeks ago without police presence. The citizens demonstrated peacefully between 11.00 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. and went home without any incidents. It is proven that, the police, instead of playing their protection role, actually provoke demonstrators who are otherwise very peaceful. In the ensuing melee, the police deploy teargas canisters and water cannons. They also use live bullets to shoot at innocent, peaceful and unarmed demonstrators. I have stood in this House several times to defend the police officers and argue for their better living standards. However, in this front, the National Police Service has failed Kenyans. They have turned into a killer squad. Today, I stand here wearing a black headscarf. I am mourning two young men from my sub-location. One was killed in Kondele at the flyover way beyond the time of the demonstration. As he walked home from work, a police officer who was at the flyover shot at him. The boy had absolutely nothing. The other one was killed in Kitengela. Of the 20 reported deaths, most of the victims were shot on the back. When you shoot people on the back, it only means that they were moving away from the shooter at the time of the shooting. They were not moving towards the shooter for the shooter to feel threatened. So, the police officers chose to shoot the demonstrators simply because the officers have the power of the gun. In many parts of this country today, Kenyans are mourning. Many of those young people will be buried this weekend. We cannot just sit and watch this tragedy happen without discussing it to see how it can be stopped. If we do not stop it, tomorrow it will happen to you or to your child or relative. Despite the fact that the police became a service and not a force, the training curriculum still remains the same. Therefore, this House must ensure that even the training curriculum for police officers changes to align it with the “service” idea of this security outfit as opposed to “force.” It does not matter to which side of the political divide you belong right now. When a time comes for you to face a policeman with a gun - who has only been trained to shoot - you will die, irrespective of the political divide you currently belong to. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I urge Members to discuss this matter with a view to coming up with ways of ensuring that all those young Kenyans who have been slain by the bullet not only get justice, but justice is, indeed, seen to be done for them. With those remarks, I beg to move. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}