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"id": 244858,
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"speaker_name": "Prof. Maathai",
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"legal_name": "Wangari Muta Maathai",
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"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to second this Bill. It is a privilege to do so. I agree that this Bill is badly needed in our country to fight organised crime, crime related to corruption and drug trafficking. Every time a witness is required to give evidence, there is a strong fear of repercussion. They ponder about what could happen to them. That is so because people who are involved in corruption, organised crimes or drug trafficking can do a lot of damage if they know the person who passed on the information to the authorities. It is important for people who have information to give it without fear of repercussion. It is very important to protect such people. Otherwise, we will never get on top of those crimes. Those crimes are committed by our brothers, sisters, co-workers and other Kenyans. Sometimes we know them, but we are so fearful of what they could do to us. It is amazing to know the amount of fear that those people can instil in our fellow citizens. So, it becomes very important for those who are concerned, especially the relevant Ministries and departments, to receive information and have those who have brought such information well protected. As you know, we have introduced community policing. I believe that it can do a lot of good in our community. But even as we try to promote that concept, one of the greatest obstacles is the fear that people have in giving that information to the police or the chiefs. They are always afraid of information leaks. It will be known that they are the ones who gave it and they could be in great trouble. So, if such an excellent concept as community policing is to succeed, it is very important for people who give information to feel protected. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the most serious crimes that needs to be focused on by the Government is drug trafficking. To me, the war on drugs is even worse than the war against corruption. The war on drugs is a war to protect our future generation. We can do no greater crime to the future generation than to fail to protect them. While we can get hold of corrupt people and put them in jail, people who give our children drugs ruin them forever. Even if we arrest them, we can never get back our children! We need to be extremely serious about drugs. It could make whatever we are doing a waste of time. In future, we could look back and say we lost generations through drugs. The Government spends a lot of money to try and protect its citizens from drugs. It is a shame that our country has been considered not only a conduit for drugs, but a place where drug are consumed in large proportions. Those of us who have seen what is happening in high schools and, sometimes, in primary schools ought to be very concerned about the increasing drug abuse in our country. It is very important for the Government to get the information it requires in order to act. Therefore, we need to protect those who give us the information. This Bill is not supposed to encourage witch-hunting. It is not supposed to encourage people who want to square things with others. The spirit of the law is to protect our people. It is to July 5, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1881 ensure that, indeed, we have a State that is managed responsibly and accountably, and is responsible not only to the present generation, but also future generations. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I therefore, feel very strongly that this Bill has been long overdue. I beg to second."
}