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{
"id": 1354732,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1354732/?format=api",
"text_counter": 86,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Dullo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13125,
"legal_name": "Dullo Fatuma Adan",
"slug": "dullo-fatuma-adan"
},
"content": "When these groups of bandits or youths come together, it is an organised crime. They sit and arrange to go and hit a particular area. Those areas have chiefs, elders, security organs and the provincial administration. Unfortunately, when those animals are taken, nobody will see them again. Two weeks ago, we lost almost 500 goats in Isiolo County. Immediately they leave the boundary, those goats are divided within certain villages. You will not even see where they go. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have tried the National Police Reservists (NPR) on these bandits, but it has never worked. If security, for example, police or provincial administrations are the ones following these animals, over the years, we are unable to get them back. We then decide to use NPRs to complement regular police and provincial administration. Even that has not worked. As a country, we have to take this issue very seriously because for pastoralists, this is their source of livelihood. Today you have 1,000 animals and tomorrow you are reduced to nothing. Sometimes, you even sell these animals to take your children to school. After these animals are taken away, what do you do with your children? How do you feel as a person who had 1,000 camels and tomorrow, they are all taken away? I support this Bill if it is for any reason that we are going to have a solution as far as banditry and cattle rustling is concerned. I remember many years back, we even introduced putting a chip in the animals. It did not work because it was very expensive to do so. We are unable to introduce it. As pastoralists, we have a big problem in this country. During the rainy or drought season, we have a problem. During drought, people also fight because of pasture and water; they fight over resources. We do not get any solution in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as pastoralists, we are affected by this issue of cattle rustling. We must have a solution to it. We will support anything that will change the current situation of cattle rustling and banditry. I feel that we are being neglected by the Government and all the Government representatives as far as issues of pastoralism and cattle rustling are concerned. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have had a lot of rain. You can imagine animals crossing the rivers and being swept away. Today you are rich, tomorrow you are a nobody. Water harvesting that should be happening right now to alleviate the problem of drought is not even happening anywhere in our counties. During the rainy season, you will see in the news that the rivers are killing people and houses are swept away. As a country, we do not even prioritise harvesting that water, so that tomorrow the pastoralists, the people who have cattle, can survive on those dams or water from the rivers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I support this particular Bill, but I think that as a country, we must have a candid discussion as far as issues of cattle rustling in the country are concerned. I know Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kindiki has tried. In fact, he has traversed this country from the day he was appointed. This has slowly come down. Unfortunately, as late as last week in my county, animals were being taken away. It is sad that we have security and a Government in place and we have chiefs, yet there is no solution at all."
}