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"id": 227946,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Mugo",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 85,
"legal_name": "Beth Wambui Mugo",
"slug": "beth-mugo"
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"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak on this Motion. I want to say that security of Kenyans can never be compromised. It is of utmost importance to all of us leaders, including the Government. It is a wrong insinuation to say that the Government supports insecurity. That is cheap politics. Our hearts bleed, especially when we see children, women and old men being butchered senseless. It is not because of their own mistakes. We know that most of the time when such wars occur, it is the men who are involved in fighting. However, at the end of the day, it is the women, children and old men who suffer. Therefore, we are bothered and feel very sad about this fighting. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform this House that security is not only a matter of the Government. It is a matter of all us, as leaders. We should take care when making our pronouncements, particularly when we go to regions to ask for presidential and parliamentary votes. We must be careful not to incite the communities. That is what happens most of the time. So, if we are really serious about maintaining security in the country, even the Opposition side must be serious. I do not think that the Government alone will bring about security in this country. The Minister can visit the area to preach security, but what happens in the night? We all know that most politicians go to incite those communities which are experiencing problems of insecurity. We 360 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 4, 2007 have seen clashes flare up every time before the general elections. It is the politicians who fund them. I feel very sad when I hear that many schools have closed and many children are not accessing education. Who is to blame? It is the leaders both on the Government and Opposition sides. Until the leaders decide to put the interest of families and children first before power, we shall not have any security, no matter what the Minister of State for Administration and National Security does. So, we should all take responsibility. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the formation of committees in the affected areas, where elders can meet and discuss about their welfare. These committees should include women from those clans in dispute, because they do not want to see fighting going on. They do not want to see their children decamping from their houses. When I was growing up, we had to sleep in pineapple plantations, because we were afraid of being attacked in the night by colonial forces and home guards. I hate to see that happening to our own children and grand children in some parts of this country. We must protect our own; not just our tribe. They are our children, wherever they are. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are looking very seriously into the issue of education. This is because we want to make sure that the children's education is not disrupted. That is why we want security to be re-established. I am sure it is at the fore-front of the Minister of State for Administration and National Security, to see to it that security is established again among these communities. The children must be able to go to school. But I want to ask the politicians from both sides of the House to stop pretending that it is a Government issue. This is our issue. Unless, the hon. Members on the Opposition side are prepared to take responsibility and make sure that they preach peace and not incite people, we shall not be peaceful. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}