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{
"id": 214804,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/214804/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 166,
"legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
"slug": "martha-karua"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support the debate on this Vote. We all appreciate the work that the police are doing in keeping security and, indeed, all the law enforcement agencies. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I just want to emphasize that, as we ask the police to continue being vigilant in keeping security, we must remember that they too are human beings. When there is a shoot out between the police and criminals, let us not just talk about the human rights of criminals or suspects. Let us also appreciate that the police are human beings. The police too have families and, therefore, we must balance the need to protect citizens and the need for our police to also protect themselves when circumstances warrant it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the law permits the police to use the necessary force when the circumstance demand it. We must, therefore, realise that because, as citizens, we are too quick to criticise the police without reviewing the circumstances. I would also call upon the police to balance the use of force. They should use force only when it is necessary, so that we can be able to move together. But I want also to say that it is our duty to support the police in their work. We cannot expect security without contributing towards that security. I am calling upon all citizens, and especially Members of this House, not to instigate lawlessness and then call upon the police to 2470 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 11, 2007 keep law and order, when we are the instigators. It is in fashion these days to listen to people who were in authority yesterday; people who condoned the rise of criminals gangs in this country, now talking about the problem of insecurity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, uprooting something that has been going on for more than a decade is not easy. I want to appreciate the fact that, laws are being developed to deal with organised crime. I am also very impressed with the police response. We know that a lot needs to be done. We want to encourage that both the police and the citizens work together to keep peace. I want to commend the police for their response during the recent incident, when we had a bomb or whatever explosive devise outside the Ambassador Hotel the other day. The response was truly fast and very commendable, even in terms of investigations which are ongoing. I also want to commend the response to disaster in various parts of this country. We need to improve. But we also need to acknowledge where good work is going on. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, several people have touched on the reforms that are going on in the Police Force and the Provincial Administration. I want to encourage the Police Commissioner and his team to examine ways and means of reforming the traffic police. I think it would not be difficult to tell traffic police officers that they have no business of entering vehicles that they have stopped. That is trying to create opportunities for rent seeking. Let them give them bonds. After all, if someone does not go to the police station, we can always track the car down. But let us stop seeing the habit of police entering vehicles. It makes us suspect that they are looking for bribes. There are little things that can be done to enhance the credibility of the Police Force. I am glad that some are being done, but we encourage the Minister to continue. I want to say that we need to support this Vote. We cannot ask for security and not be ready to pay for it. With those very many words, I beg to support."
}