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{
    "id": 1547390,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1547390/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 923,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marsabit County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naomi Waqo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for allowing me to add my voice to this very important debate on the Report. Insecurity in the Northern part of Kenya, the North Rift and many other areas has affected many people and families. Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives due to insecurity issues, banditry and by communities attacking each other. This has left many children orphans and many young women widows. That is why we need to give this matter the attention it deserves to salvage the situation. Insecurity in the North Rift touches everyone’s heart today because of the frequent attacks and the many lives lost. The people of Northern Kenya, especially Marsabit, also went through the same challenges some years back. We thank God that for the last three to four years, we have experienced peace. Our people are now enjoying peace. They can take care of their animals, engage in farming and do business. We thank God for the peace. Once in a while, there are people who attack others, steal animals and kill people which is unfortunate. I urge the security team to put serious measures in place to protect the life of every citizen before attacks happen. A lot has happened and many people have complained. Some people blame leaders. The best thing the Government can do is invest in developing those parts of the country. For us in Marsabit, we used to say we were not in Kenya but in ‘‘Kenya B’’, because the area was underdeveloped and people were marginalised. If you visit other parts of Kenya, you see growth, but you wonder whether where you come from it is still part of this country. We need to invest in those parts of the country. There is the Equalisation Fund and the Government is doing too many things, but we need to be serious about developing the areas so that people can change their mindset and seek better livelihoods. Hon. Temporary Speaker, many people in Northern and North Rift are not educated. That is why besides the normal education system that we have, we can even engage the grown- ups in adult literacy, so that we keep them busy. They can learn how to read and write. This will open up their mind so that they can do some business. We can call upon investors to come and invest in those areas so that the local people, who are only known for pastoralism and taking care of their animals, can engage in business and take care of their cash. We can invest in women so that they can engage in businesses that can sustain their families. Unless we become so radical in transforming the lives of those people by investing in those counties, we will not overcome this problem. The leaders can also be peace ambassadors. Additionally, we can also engage the young people who are in school in a curriculum that touches on peaceful coexistence so that as they grow, they understand the importance of coexistence and live together. My suggestion is that we need to focus and be serious. We should invest in those counties, change their mindset and see how best they can leave pastoralism and do business to keep them busy and see how…"
}