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{
    "id": 253312,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/253312/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 292,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Michuki",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Administration and National Security",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 183,
        "legal_name": "John Njoroge Michuki",
        "slug": "john-michuki"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise at this particular moment to support this Motion. I would like to thank hon. Lesrima for introducing this Motion, so that hon. Members of this House may have an opportunity to discuss this matter of great importance to this nation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, insecurity, cattle rustling and cross-border insecurity are not matters to be taken lightly. I wish the hon. Member for Budalang'i would listen. I saw him trying to rise in order to address this problem but there was not enough time. You may recall that last year, we launched what we called \"Operation Dumisha Amani\" in the North Rift region. It was launched in the districts of Turkana, TransNzoia, Baringo, West Pokot, Marakwet, Samburu and certain parts of Laikipia. Under that programme we persuaded people to surrender their arms. Many of them co-operated, except certain pockets which I will refer to later. We also introduced services to those areas. We have made roads and drilled more boreholes. In fact, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation provided from its own budget Kshs11.5 million to supplement what we had in the Office of the President to maintain machinery and drill more boreholes. Schools were also opened after they had been closed for 10 years. Markets started operating. For example, the County Council of Samburu had its revenue collection doubled. The efforts of the Government to maintain peace have been unequalled by those of any other time in 594 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 19, 2006 this country. We have tried to restore peace and order. I would like to join those who have already sent their condolences to the families of our colleagues who died in the Marsabit plane crash as they were taking peace to Marsabit and Moyale Districts. This is an effort that was initiated by the Government since last year. However, I think this House would be, if I may borrow from your words, out of order not to recognise the problems of insecurity in this country. It is just not a matter of cattle rustling in northern Kenya. If you go to Moyale, you will hardly know who is from Kenya and who is from Ethiopia. There is that interaction of people. Indeed, when it was alleged that people were coming from a neighbouring country, we used all manner of identification. For example, the neighbouring country has no programme of vaccinations which leave a mark on the arm. So we tried to identify young people by referring to the marks on their arms. Those who do not want peace marked themselves. Eventually, it became almost impossible to know who comes from which part. Our border with Ethiopia, for those who may not know, is 861 kilometres. However, the areas that require supervision are areas that are occupied by people of one ethnic origin; the Borans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, until and unless the Borans of Kenyans and Borans of Ethiopia decide to live like the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, where each of them knows where their nationality is but interact culturally, the problem in the north will never end. It is not a military problem. It is not even a police problem. It is a problem of the people, and in particular the leaders themselves. There is a lot of hypocrisy in this House because I can see some people here who are visualising other situations. They are talking in languages which are reminiscent of a man who has been saved from whatever it is that he is saved from!"
}