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{
    "id": 29085,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/29085/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 799,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kamama",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 165,
        "legal_name": "Asman Abongutum Kamama",
        "slug": "asman-kamama"
    },
    "content": " Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would like to thank the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security for coming up with this very exhaustive and comprehensive Bill that will reform our Police Force. I am passionate because I have served as a Commander of the Administration Police, under Cap.85 - The Administration Police Act. So, I know the kind of problems that those officers face. At the same time, I have also worked with the Kenya Police who are governed by Cap. 84 - The Police Act. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy that, those Acts have collapsed; Cap. 84 - The Police Act, and Cap.85 - The Administration Police Act and now, we have one Bill that will actually bring one command to the police force. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy that we have one Director- General and two Deputy Director-Generals in charge of the Administration Police and the Kenya Police. Nobody should doubt that when we have two forces, somebody should say that we will have conflict in command. The two forces have co-existed with the few problems that you have always had. But I am sure this Bill will address those small teething problems. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to agree with Mr. Kapondi who has said that we need a clause that provides for compensation of officers. One week, when I was a District Officer in Garissa, I lost three inspectors. I was also shot. I was flown to Forces Memorial Hospital where I was treated. I lost the three officers in a very sad situation. I am even sure that up to now, nobody has actually compensated their families and they are suffering, wallowing in poverty and deep penury. So, something has to be done about that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me go to the Kenya National Police Reserve on Clause 115. We must draw a dichotomy between the Kenya Police Reservists and the ones we used to call homeguards. Homeguards should actually be maintained. But if you want to abolish Kenya Police Reservists in urban areas, we do not need them. I do not think they are necessary. But we want the Kenya Police Reservists in pastoral areas and all ASAL regions to be maintained. They should actually be remunerated. They should actually get some funds. Otherwise, at the moment, they are serving like missionaries to the Ministries. They are actually missionaries of the security sector. On the issues of the county police authority, I am happy that now under this Bill, the chairperson of the county police authority is actually the governor, together with two other executive members nominated by him. I only want us to provide for the transition. Where are the provincial administration officers? Have they been abolished? What has happened to them? I am happy the Minister has just mentioned that he will take care of that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me turn to the issue of powers to erect barriers under Clause 65. The Minister must look at that very carefully. As it stands now, those police barriers are actually not helping Kenyans. When Kenyans see a police barrier, they are actually intimidated because the next thing they will be asked is to produce money. I want the Minister to look at the best ways of managing all police barriers in this country. He should even consider having CCTV’s or mobile CCTV’s at all police roadblocks because Kenyans have suffered under that kind of situation. I also want to propose that the entire Traffic Act be abolished and the existing officers be replaced by new officers. The officers who are there should be taken to other departments. You heard what Mr. Musila said. He said that all traffic police officers are actually over-weight. We need to compare them with the ones who are in the Traffic Police Department. There is a lot of difference. That presupposes that something must be happening. They must be eating something. I want an overhaul of the Traffic Police Department."
}