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{
    "id": 1472866,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1472866/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 227,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "not really the case. Instead, it states that a police officer below the rank of Deputy Inspector- General should retire at 60. It does not speak to the retirement age of the officers above that rank. That is a lacuna in the law that we should look into in the future. Other than that, from the Committee’s Report, the work he has done and what Members have said here, he fits the bill. The Police Service is the most important unit in terms of internal security. You can have a strong army, but that does not secure internal security. It is the interaction between the civil society and the people that really secures internal security. The Police Service is extremely important in the criminal justice system. If they do not conduct investigations and collate evidence properly, the criminal justice system will not work. We also know that Mr. Kanja will face challenges, including that of the welfare of police officers. We all know that even their accommodation is not right. We are also aware that there is a lot of homicide and suicide amongst police officers. This is a challenge that indicates that there is some distress in their areas of work. He will have to address that challenge. There is also the challenge of perception that police officers are corrupt. He will have to address that aspect as well. There may be some reality in it but that will have to be addressed administratively and legally as required. We know that he is capable of doing so. Another issue that he has to change is the conduct of the police in relation to upholding the constitutional rights of citizens during civil strife. The way they have dealt with people during demonstrations that are legal has not come out well. I am talking about the use of what I call lethal force and the abductions that we have seen. We cannot blame one man on this but it is in the Police Service. When he takes up this job, he should address that issue. Additionally, he should address the general conduct of police officers and their attitudes towards the law. The Police should see themselves as a service and friends of the people. If you are walking on the street and you see a policeman, the correct attitude should be: ‘‘That is somebody I can go to for safety, and not somebody that is likely to harm me.’’ I know that he has been in the Service for a long time. He has done well as a person but he must address those challenges. With those remarks, I support the Report of the Committee."
}