HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 186048,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/186048/?format=api",
"text_counter": 255,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 158,
"legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
"slug": "ekwee-ethuro"
},
"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn to discuss the rising death toll in Turkana South District. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I alluded in the morning, it is sad for this country to keep on losing lives because of banditry. On that particular incident that we want the House to discuss, the raid happened on 29th July, 2008, where 46 herdsmen, who were running away from the ravaging effects of the devastating drought and famine from various places in Turkana South - mainly Lokui, Lotubai, Morulem and Lokori - and they were all grazing in Lapeito--- Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, 1,237 head of cattle were stolen and driven by the bandits towards the direction of Baringo East. Many might think this is a traditional and primitive mode of acquisition of wealth. Many might tempt us to think about communities fighting or inter-tribal warfare. It is none of the above. I want to be extremely categorical that the communities in northern Kenya deserve development as bona fide citizens of the Republic. What we are witnessing each and every time there is a raid is neglect, marginalistation, chronic poverty, under-development; where parts of this nation do not have a presence of Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this House needs to indict the Ministry of State for Provicnial Adminsitration and Internal Security. When you look at the mission statement of this nation, it states:- \"To provide quality police service to meet the expections of the public by uphoilding the rule of law, creating and maintaining strong community partnerships and to secure an environment for prospertiy and the development of Kenya.\" These are not my words; these are words that were crafted by a government that has made itself very clear to the nation that this is the direction in which to go. I am just wondering, when we are looking at this kind of mission statement and you look at the actions on the ground, there is no prosperity and development in northen Kenya. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Nateiton where this raid took place is about 45 kilometres from the nearest place known as Lokori Division. It is about 50 kilometres to Kapedo where we have the next division. If you take this dimension, you go towards the Suguta Valley. If you move from Suguta Valley to Lokorio all the way to Kainuk and through Lochakula, you are talking of another 200 kilometres. The newly created district of Turkana South does not have an Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) as we speak. The OCPD for Turkana South with headquarters in Lokichar is the one for Turkana Central District. The distance from Lodwar to Kapedo is about 300 kilomtres. How do you expect one OCPD without a vehilce to even purport or pretend that he is provideing security not only to the urban centres but also to the herdsmen in the grazing fields? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are talking about famine. As we speak, hunger is biting and this House, with concern, has raised a number of questions about food supplies to the people of Turkana and other people in northen Kenya. When famine is biting, the few surving herds are usually taken to where we have more water and pasture. Unfortunately, in this corrider where you find pasture and water during times of famine is where you are also at the boundary point and this creates potential conflict. Towards the turn of the century, the British coloniser put up a very major operation in these areas. The post-independence governments have always attempted to address this problem by knee jerk reactions like saying: \"We want to do disarmament, we want to provide you with food and so on\". They even attempt to rush a Provicnial Police Officer there from Nakuru or maybe the Minister from Nairobi. What is needed are not these joy rides to go and prevent bloodshed when 2372 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE August 6, 2008 people have already done it and lives have been lost. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am hoping the good Minister will today rise to the ocassion. That the weakness of previous administrations will not be used as an excuse for making our areas to be ungovernable and not to appear as part and parcel of Kenya. This is not just about Turkana; this is about Samburu District, the new Laikipia Distrcit, Baringo district and our border with Uganda. We demand as Members of this House who represent systems of the Republic, that the Government needs to stamp out cattle rustling and ensure a heavy presence of police in these areas. This should not be an issue of just going there for a while and running away. This must be an issue where the Government and the military will be able to recruit enough personnel to take to these areas. I do not know what kind of management responsiblity the Government thinks or has, when we know people are moving and migrating, reports are being obtained that are sufficeint early warning systems in place. We expect the Government and the Minister in particlar, to ensure that officers who are sleeping on the job get fired and not just transfered. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for how long will we cry because we have lost our young people and other citizens of the Republic? Every time there is a famine, drought or raid, the Minister will just be relaxing in Nairobi and does not even make an appearance, at least, to condole with the bereaved and the victims. I thought that when we got the Grand Coalition Government, we said that this is an opportunity for service per excellence and accountability in Government systems."
}