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"id": 214746,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Katuku",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Water and Irrigation",
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"legal_name": "John Mutua Katuku",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution to this Vote, which is very important for all of us. This is because we require security to be able to perform our day-to-day activities. I would like to start by thanking the Minister. Although some hon. Members have expressed disappointment in the way he has handled a few issues, I am personally very happy with the way he has handled his docket. There is no way you can compromise with criminals. Some hon. Members may want him to compromise with criminals, but you cannot compromise with criminals who handle or hold guns. I would want to encourage the Minister to take on these criminals, so that we can have a peaceful society. This business of letting criminals, who hold guns, get away with it, is the one which is adding problems to this country. I would want the Minister to re-look at the law that relates to handling of illegal firearms, so that once one is caught in possession of an illegal firearm, he or she is dealt with firmly. This is because once you leave such a criminal--- Sometimes when they are taken to court, they are released on bond. Then, they use other weapons to continue harassing innocent Kenyans. So, I think it is the high time we re-looked at the law and amended it, in order to come up with serious penalties against anybody who is found in possession of illegal firearms. This is because it means that such a person is out to kill. So, if that person is out to kill, why do we have to spare him or her? Why does one have to acquire an illegal fire arm? It means that you are a killer and, therefore, you should be dealt with firmly. That is why I support the Minister for the way he has handled some of the incidents, where criminals have been found. All of us, as leaders, do not need to July 11, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2443 sympathise with these criminals. I have seen some leaders in this country - some of them are in this House - trying to sympathise with criminals, purposely, to catch headlines in newspapers. The insecurity situation in this country does not require somebody to make headlines while defending criminals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to thank the Minister for the way that he has handled the aspect of re-training our officers. The retraining of officers is a programme which has been going on since the last financial year. I hope that he will continue with the same programme, which started with the assistant chiefs, chiefs and District Officers (DOs) and other security personnel. It is important that we re-train these officers. I think the Minister is giving the chiefs some training on how to handle firearms. I would like to recommend that he considers giving them firearms, so that they can assist in some areas. In some areas, we have some chiefs who posses guns, but in others, you will find that when the communities are confronted by insecurity, they run to the chiefs who are helpless because they do not have fire arms. Some of them stay away from their camps. So, there is no way they can be of any help. So, I am appealing to the Minister to consider allowing chiefs to be given guns, and training them to handle them, so that they can assist communities when they raise alarm, especially, when they are attacked unawares. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as we undertake this re-training of our officers, it is also important to note that there are some officers who have the mentality of serving the Government interests instead of the people. Most of them were recruited during the previous administration. It is time civil servants realised that they are supposed to serve the Government of the day because, in some cases, you will find them handling issues in a manner to suggest that they have some political protection. Someone imagines that because he was appointed to a certain position, through the help of somebody, he needs to--- Mr. Speaker, Sir, while talking about insecurity, I would like to appeal to my colleague to see how he can handle the insecurity that has been brought about by the \"hammer.\" I would like to appeal to my colleague to give my brother, Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka, extra security, because I saw him, recently, being confronted by an insecurity situation known as \"hammer.\" When he was addressing a baraza in Mombasa, the \"hammer\" almost caught up with my brother. This \"hammer\" is an insecurity weapon. I do not know whether it is a car or the hammer itself. I saw on television, an innocent, Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka, faced by several hammers; the real hammers. That is the insecurity which---"
}