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"speaker_name": "Mr. Biwott",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. This is a very serious problem that requires every single minute of attention to be dedicated to it. When this Motion was approved, I expected that every speaker on the Floor of this House would address it correctly. The way this problem started is just as Dr. Kituyi put it. He, therefore, should be in a position to advise the Government on this matter. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the clashes in Mt. Elgon need to be condemned in the strongest terms possible. We need to understand the way things developed. Mt. Elgon is a small district and it has been peaceful for a very long time. It has the same people and whether you call them Ndorobos or not, they are Sabaots because they all speak the same language. Therefore, you cannot talk about tribal clashes because the people of Mt. Elgon are one community. We need to ask ourselves: Why did this problem arise? It arose just as Dr. Kituyi stated in his contribution. The problem then developed to what it is at the moment and it is all because of poor leadership. I think the Government has failed in the leadership of the area, especially in terms of providing enough security cover and administration of land. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Government to provide that leadership because there is the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security and the other Ministry is responsible for land. So, altogether, the Government should take charge. The Government cannot escape from that leadership responsibility. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also up to the leaders of that area, led by the hon. Member for Mt. Elgon, and other people such as elders and the clergy to sit down and solve this problem. It is important that they solve the existing problems starting with the issue of land itself. They should also concentrate more on the last phase of this matter, which, actually, sparked off the clashes and see how they can address it. The solution, therefore, lies in collective and serious efforts by all concerned parties. No attempts, by both sides of this House, should be made to score politically. If you bring politics and other emotions into this matter with the aim of undermining others, you will not achieve anything. It is important that this matter be isolated and dealt with firmly and accordingly. I think that some of the conflict resolution methods that were used to quell the Molo clashes and other parts of this country where a similar problem existed could be applied here even though Mt. Elgon is unique. It was said earlier on, and I believe so, that opportunistic criminals have now come into play. This is a matter that is within the responsibility of the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security to ensure that no criminals are allowed to flourish. If there are warlords or other people, they should be dealt with firmly. How difficult is it to deal with one or two individuals? If we isolate them, they have to be accountable because life is very important. April 4, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 367 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, since I spoke yesterday, I do not wish to take long except to suggest that the Government should demonstrate proper leadership in this area. Let the Government stop this problem and tackle it in the shortest time possible. The political leadership should co-operate with other leaders to resolve this problem. I urge people of Mt. Elgon District to inform the police of all the criminals among them. The Government must firmly deal with the issue of land, so that the matter is settled. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I hope the Government will address the issues of women and children within this month. We would like to see children going back to schools in May. I also urge the Government to protect people and their property. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}