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"id": 214794,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/214794/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Marende",
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"speaker": {
"id": 289,
"legal_name": "Kenneth Otiato Marende",
"slug": "kenneth-marende"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the people of Emuhaya are now hopeful that the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) is going to look at them favourably. Indeed, as underscored by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs just the other day, that there is going to be 30 new constituencies, we, really, are hopeful that we will fall in the category of districts that will enjoy a new constituency, so that we are a district of not one constituency but a district of two constituencies, because we have the requisite numbers. I want to move on to performance contracts. This is a very noble idea, whose time had come. However, it is important that austerity measures are taken to ensure that the output of the performance contract initiative compares with the celebration that there has been, that this idea has been introduced in our public service. We would like to see a situation where under-performers are dealt with. Performance contracts have been in place for close to one-and-half years now. We have had commendations, including winning a United Nations award, but we have not heard of any disciplinary measures taken against under-performing officers. We want to see that happening, so that the output from this idea can be greater than we have witnessed so far. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to move on to the area of insecurity. This is a matter that is worrying. It is a matter which concerns every Kenyan now, because we are witnessing a situation where the security situation in the country has deteriorated so much that we are hearing of hot spots of insecurity running all the way from Mount Elgon through to Kwale District, including the midst of the Capital City, Nairobi, among many other places. It is necessary that the Government takes very firm measures. I know that the Minister has tried so far, but it is not good enough. This Government is under a contractual, constitutional and moral duty to safeguard the security of every Kenyan's life and property. if this contractual, constitutional and moral duty is not fulfilled, then this Government, among other things, will not be seen to be doing what it, really, ought to do. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to move on to the aspect of drug abuse. We would have liked to see a little more money allocated to the National Authority for Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA), instead of the Kshs160 million, because drug abuse is a vice which needs to be tamed, so that we do not lose what would otherwise have been very productive manpower to drugs. Stern action must be taken against drug peddlers and dealers, so that they are sentenced to imprisonment for long terms, as much as possible. Perhaps this is also aligned to the 2466 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 11, 2007 prevailing insecurity in the country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am, therefore, recommending, among other things - and this is my considered view - that the Government enforces the death sentence, which is still in our statute books. We are concerned that a number of prisoners who have previously been sentenced to hang are released after serving prison terms for some time. It is possible that this has a bearing on the increase in the rate of violent crime in this country. Perhaps, it would be necessary that the Minister considers this, so that we have a few executions carried out to deter violent criminals. I am informed, I do not know whether this is true, that the last executions in this country were carried out in 1985. Why should this be so? Is it that the Government is shying away from punishing murderers and violent robbers? Is that the position? If it is, then the Government, in fact, is condoning crime. Finally, I want to urge the Minister, whom I commended at the beginning, that he ensures that the Vote of his Ministry is demystified, so that what appears to be shrouded in secrecy, or Government classified secrets, should become open, because, in this era, this is information that the public is entitled to and it ought to be published. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}