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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kajembe",
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"legal_name": "Ramadhan Seif Kajembe",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government is accountable for what is happening in Mt. Elgon because it is their duty as clearly stipulated in the Constitution of this country. Since this thing began taking place in Mt. Elgon, the Government has kept mum. It has turned a deaf ear to what is happening in Mt. Elgon. It is very important for the Minister in charge of national security to come out clearly and tell Kenyans what is happening there. There has been a tendency in the past that every time we are nearing elections, there are clashes, either tribal or otherwise, in the country. In the developed world, if one life is lost, the whole country and the Government are concerned. Those who perpetrate those wrongs are brought to book. Up to now, we have not heard of anybody who has been brought to book. We have not heard the Government saying anything. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Departmental Committee on Administration, National Security and Local Authorities, which I chair, has made a brief follow-up on this matter by talking to people who were on the site. This Committee will visit the troubled area of Mt. Elgon next week in order to come up with very important information. However, those people we have talked to informed us that there is land allocation going on in Mt. Elgon. The Ministry of Lands is trying to settle people there by allocating them land. It appears that there are warlords in Mt. Elgon. They are the ones who are inciting the people of Mt. Elgon because they want to own large pieces of land in that area. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is my wish that the Government, and particularly the Ministry of Lands, should stop allocating land in that area forthwith so that there can be dialogue amongst the people of Mt. Elgon. That is, however, not to say that the people there should be denied ownership of land. There must be dialogue first and then land allocation should take place. The issue of land allocation is a big contributor to this problem. As we talk now, schools in Mt. Elgon have been closed. Shops have been closed too and people there cannot get food. They are now dying of hunger. It is surprising that we have not heard the Government say anything. We do not know what measures it is taking to suppress a very bad situation like this one. It is important to state that those who have been killed did not die of illnesses. They died as a result of clashes and their properties were destroyed too. This Government is duty bound to make sure that those families, whose members have been killed and property destroyed, are compensated. I am talking about full and adequate compensation and not ex gratia payment. There has been a tendency in the Government that when it wants to compensate people, it sometimes makes ex gratia payment. We are now saying that we want adequate payment to the suffering people of Mt. Elgon. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to state again that people are dying in Mt. Elgon and the Government and even Kenyans cannot afford to ignore that fact. Something must be done. In the developed world, if such a thing happened, the Minister in charge of security would lose his or her April 4, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 345 job because the people of that particular country will talk very loudly about the nasty things that are happening like what is taking place in Mt. Elgon. Let us join hands together to make sure that the nasty things happening now in Mt. Elgon are brought to a stop. I know that the Government has the capacity to stop the unrest that is taking place in Mt. Elgon. Why is that capacity not being applied? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have done our homework. The Minister of State for Administration and National Security has posted an adequate number of security personnel to Mt. Elgon. However, when the security personnel on the ground see members of Mt. Elgon community quarrelling and killing each other, they only stare and laugh at them. They do not take any action. Why is that happening? Whose instructions are they going by? Whose orders are they following? This House is answerable to the people of Kenya. We are here as the watchdog of the people of Kenya. Whatever wrongs the Government does, we shall point them out. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very interesting to note that even those intending to contest in the forthcoming General Election, be it for parliamentary or civic seats, are finding it easy to organise groups to fight each other just for the purpose of getting votes. Yes, one might do whatever one wants to do, but we have law and order in this country. There is a Government arm which can arrest and investigate. It is that arm of Government which will make the people of Kenya live in harmony. It is my prayer, and I hope that for every Kenyan, that now that we are nearing elections, we do not want to see more tribal clashes erupting in other parts of this country. Some politicians view clashes as a way of winning elections. Let us approach the General Election that will be held at the end of this year with sober minds. The clashes should not be used to facilitate a candidate's victory in the elections. The Government should identify the warlords in Mt. Elgon area. It should come out clearly and tell Kenyans who these warlords are. The warlords should be brought to book. We want to live in a country where there is peace. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to \"move\" and with your permission, call upon hon. J. Nyagah to second this Motion."
}