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{
    "id": 1442866,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1442866/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 62,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "savings that they had by trading with counties, we must pass that particular resolution today. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to speak to two final issues then I conclude. In a public forum, I asked where the Inspector General (IG) is. That was in relation to the killings that were going on in Kerio Valley. It has been two weeks of protests, Kenyans have lost their lives and others beaten. Police have also faced very difficult and hostile gangs on the streets. I am yet to hear the voice of the IG. I am deeply troubled by that. It cannot be right. I was not a leader, but a young person in university when we faced the post- election violence. Day by day, General Hussein Mohammed would brief the country and give them an update of what was happening. How can we face such a crisis up to this particular point and I do not know what the IG thinks, what the challenge is and the things being discussed? The question in the back of my mind is: Is this the right man for this job? We must think critically. Finally, about Article 37, we have had conversations and debates here in this House on whether demonstrations are peaceful or not. How is it that we continue to struggle as a country with this thing of peaceful demonstrations? What is it that we are supposed to do? Why can we not guide and provide the way forward? People should know what is expected of them under their constitutional rights if they want to demonstrate peacefully. A new trend is emerging where any time when one organizes a demonstration, there is an infiltration. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish between those who are peacefully protesting and those who want to take advantage of the situation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to request the House that we do not exit on this Motion until we first provide the way forward and guidance. I listened to one gentleman who was an organiser of the “Occupy Parliament” crusade. He said, according to them, they just wanted to come and sit outside, listen and make noise as the debate on the Finance Bill, 2024, was ongoing. I said okay. Fair enough. Unfortunately, in the way that they communicated, it was impossible to tell how to do that kind of an occupation. I wish at that point there was an engagement with your office because you are the person who permits these kinds of engagements. We ought to know how we facilitate if 100,000 people want to come and present a public petition to Parliament today. They should know at what time they will come and what they need to do. We need to set the rules and agree so as not to provide an environment that is ripe for people with sinister motives. I know that it was not the design of the young people who wanted to protest outside Parliament to have it look like the way it did that afternoon because they had no intention of burning anything. I do not think it was in their design to destroy the amount of property that was destroyed here. I do not think that it was in their design for Members to flee for their lives. They wanted to come and present their petition. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have to think and propose a way forward on how we can protect citizens' rights. This is because there are too many inherent dangers. If we do not provide a way forward on this conversation, then it shall be known forever that it is impossible to have a peaceful protest in this country, yet other countries have it. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}