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"speaker_name": "Mr. Maina",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. We are now talking about beefing up of security because the issue of insecurity has reached a certain level in this country. I want to draw the attention of this House to where Kenya has come from. I keep wondering how violence could start, say, in Eldoret, and spread throughout the country and even reach major towns such as Nairobi and Mombasa. The insecurity that we are witnessing in this country today is not a casual affair. We must say where that progression started from. I want to say from the Floor of this House that we have created a very dangerous situation in this country. Starting with poverty, it breeds all kinds of evil, including insecurity. We need to be aware that our young men in this country are jobless. Most of them have no ways of survival. This is something which needs to be addressed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, from my own thinking, this country needs to address the issue of economic growth. Where is the economic growth directed? We can talk of economic growth, but as long as that economic growth is not home grown, or the real people of the country are not involved, and no employment is being created, but instead, people are being retrenched, then we breed the kind of insecurity we are talking about. I have a bit of commendation to give to the present people running the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security. During the post-election violence, starting from Eldoret and beyond, violent groups of people were at large. They had taken over the country. At least, they have now been put into check. We can now say we are where we are. So, let us try to ask where it all started. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we, as leaders, need to evaluate ourselves. There is no better way of breeding insecurity in the country than when we go on creating hatred among members of various communities. One way of having peace is having the people living peacefully. So, let us also start by, first of all, trying to create peace among our people. Let us try to address poverty in this country because, I believe it, is the real cause of insecurity. We cannot maintain security by arming policemen with better guns, not even if we put battle tanks on the streets. We can only sustain peace in the country when everybody can afford to have a meal. I am not sure whether that is happening. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will now turn to the security agents. Something has gone really wrong with our security agents. I am aware that - and we have witnessed some instances - orders can be issued, but sometimes, they are never followed. Sometimes somebody is attacked, and an order is issued. The culprit could be a thief, but nothing happens to him. We also witnessed such incidents during the post-election violence that occurred in January/February. Therefore, I call upon the Minister to check whether security forces in this country are working in accordance with their standing orders. I want to say that they are not. Let us not try to think in terms of buying more guns and employing more policemen. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the way to create security is to, first of all, have peaceful co- existence among communities. Leaders should preach peace among communities and then the Government should address the poverty situation in this country. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}