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{
    "id": 243956,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/243956/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 158,
        "legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
        "slug": "ekwee-ethuro"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. I support the Motion. I also appreciate what the Minister has done since the NARC Government came to power. We have seen new police stations and the pay of police officers increased. I want to commend him, in particular, for the completion of the district planning unit at Lodwar District, which had stayed incomplete since 1991 when the Norwegians left this country. I think that was efficiency in resource allocation. But while I appreciate what they have done, I wish to say that they have failed in their basic and cardinal responsibility of maintaining security in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Turkana District the Government has basically absconded its responsibilities to the Kenya Police Reservists and elders, who are members of the local peace committees. There is no reason why I should vote money to this Ministry of Administration and National Security when it is not assuring me of maintenance of security in my constituency. This House lost some of its prominent members in an air crash while they were going for a peace mission. This was as a result of failure by the Provincial Administration to maintain security in Marsabit. We share international boundaries with other countries. You do not expect our international boundaries to be manned by the local people. Sometimes we even have no people in these places. In the colonial times, the Government made sure that all police outposts were properly manned, complete with police vehicles and radio communication facilities. In case there was a problem they were able to call the neighbouring police post for reinforcement. But this is not happening at the moment. We will keep on harassing the Minister over lack of security along our borders. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Turkana Central Constituency I have five divisions with a radius of about 200 kilometres. Some hon. Members here represent newly created districts with a radius of 30 kilometres but with five divisions and DOs. I have five divisions but there are no Dos in all of them except in Lodwar Municipality. We cannot be proud, as a country, when we have no Government representation at the grassroots level. Our people cannot have the sense of 1972 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 11, 2006 belonging to a Government when the person who represents that Government is not on the ground. It is time we people from northern Kenya told the Minister that it is no longer funny for us to talk of \"coming to Kenya\" when we are bona fide citizens of the this Republic. Why do our people talk of \"coming to \"Kenya\"? It is because when you do not have a district officer on the ground, even the chiefs do not live in their locations. But at the end of the month they get paid for doing zero work. If that is not corruption, then what constitutes corruption? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, corruption is not only about the Anglo Leasing that happened at the headquarters of the Ministry. There is also corruption at the grassroots level. How do you expect the Government to be represented when there are no chiefs in the locations? I have told the Minister that the few chiefs who are in employment should go home. Even though the Minister had agreed that they should go home, nothing has happened up to now. Let us not think that because the Government is a big thing it can do what it wants. The Government has to be managed well. Somebody should be responsible for running Government affairs. There is an attitude in Harambee House that you can only send newly promoted DCs to districts like Turkana and others in the North Rift. Such DCs are often naive, inexperienced and incompetent. They have no idea of the challenges of development and insecurity in those areas. I feel thoroughly embarrassed sometime to serve in this Government. I love it but it does not listen to the cries of my people, even when I take them to Harambee House"
}