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{
    "id": 1523032,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1523032/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 476,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ikolomani, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Bernard Shinali",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want to begin by congratulating my colleague, Hon. Peter Masara, for coming up with this Bill to fill the gap that the National Police Service Commission Bill has not looked at. You and I are not new to this problem because we both served in the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs in the last Parliament. First, I want to look at the training of police officers. The training of police officers overlooks this area, concentrating on defence, attack, and handling of ammunition. This is the case and yet after that activity or after their work, this becomes a critical area that should be looked into. This Bill is long overdue. It should have been enacted like yesterday. The mental wellness of any person, including us in Parliament, is important especially police officers who are involved in duties that sometimes turn violent, traumatising, and maybe forceful, in a way. The psycho-social wellness is important and should be provided for. Therefore, it can be implemented alongside the employment of police officers, so long as the law is in place to allow them to practise alongside. In developed countries, as cited by my colleague, it is a mandatory department because it enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of working in the police force. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the circumstances and environment in which police officers operate are wanting. Before one is deployed to their workstation, they live in houses provided to them. The living conditions are deplorable. This affects their mind set. This is an issue that needs to be looked into by first preparing the mindset of the recruits. When recruits leave Kiganjo Police Training College after work training, they do not expect what they experience in the police quarters. Once they arrive there, they are already disturbed. They are made to share one house with another family, a practice not allowed by some of our traditions and the communities we come from. This requires mental wellness and psychological advice. To conclude, this Bill is important and very wide. I can contribute for a long time because I have a first-hand experience. I plead with this House and Members to pass this Bill with amendments to ensure that these police officers who have gone back to school are rewarded. Most were not lucky enough to continue with their education after Form Four due to financial constraints but got employed as police officers and now can take up loans to educate themselves. Also, let us give a chance to those who have experience in the police force and have seen the need and passion to help their former colleagues be reappointed to the Commission just like any other institution, otherwise it will amount to discrimination. We have to call it as is. So, as I applaud my friend, Hon. Peter Masara, for coming up with this Bill, he has also explained to us that it is not easy to visit 20 counties, but he has gone to 45 counties and he has seen it all. He has first-hand information. Some of us might talk about it, but we have not seen it first-hand. We support Hon. Masara because we want a better police force. We will achieve that by passing this Bill. 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."
}