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{
"id": 1354738,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1354738/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13591,
"legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
"slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
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"content": "Kenya, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, the situation continues. That is why, in this House, there is a Motion by me, seeking this House to pass a resolution to declare cattle rustling a national disaster, and we establish a fund to compensate the victims. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the unfortunate situation is that it is only the pastoral people who feel the pinch, but the rest of the country where there is plenty, food, and communication, do not know what it feels. Recently, a colleague of mine asked me, ‘Sen. Cheptumo, how possible is it that you can drive away 300 head of cattle? Is it possible to steal 300 cows or 1,000 head of cattle?’ I do not blame that Kenyan because practically speaking, it is not tenable. You cannot imagine how possible it is. However, where I come from, one Kenyan can have 100 head of cattle, 200 goats, a millionaire by standards. When the raiders come, they drive the entire livestock. A millionaire in terms of the value of livestock becomes a pauper one morning, not able to pay fees, dress or have food for the family. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a challenge. I would like to say that we are talking about a situation that has persisted for 49 years, almost the age of our Independence. It has caused a lot of havoc. Sen. Lomenen is here. He will tell us the challenges that he is facing in Turkana County. A Member of my Committee, Sen. Dullo, keeps crying whenever we are in meetings in our Committee because of the situation. You talk of displacement of population, maiming of people, killings of people, you have widows, widowers, institutions of learning; people are unable to exercise and benefit from Article 43. Political, economic and social rights are completely denied to these people. We will receive and support any attempt by a Member of this House to introduce any law or a proposal that we think can help to sort out cattle rustling. I request the Members of this House to support this Bill. We have so many challenges in our counties. Baringo County is the one of the counties that have suffered. Three days ago, three young Kenyans were killed by bandits. These were innocent people, who were just looking after their livestock. Therefore, I say from this House that the way the Post-Election Violence (PEV) of 2007/08 Kenyans paid to compensate the victims of the PEV, cattle rustling is no longer a traditional way of life. It is becoming a commercial business and political, and it is the right time that we pass any law that will enable the Government to take stern action. As I conclude, when I led my Committee to Elgeyo-Marakwet, as said by my colleague, Sen. Dullo here, one of the petitions, which is in this House - and I will be tabling the report next week - the Elgeyo-Marakwet County Assembly is proposing that we amend the law, so that we treat a bandit as a terrorist. I agree. Both the actions of a terrorist and those of a bandit are the same; they destroy, kill, maim and steal. What happened in 1998, the USA Embassy bomb last here, is exactly what a bandit is doing. The situation is similar to what happened in the Westgate and Dusit incidents. Kenyans are dying in numbers. So, I will be moving a Motion in this House to amend our laws, so that the punishment of a bandit should be at the level of a punishment of a terrorist. This will serve as a deterrent to these criminals and facilitate our people live in peace. So, I join my colleagues in supporting this Bill."
}