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{
    "id": 307345,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/307345/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 388,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Chachu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 18,
        "legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
        "slug": "francis-ganya"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill. I think the NSIS plays a very critical role in our security arrangement in this country. For that purpose, I think this Bill is very useful, critical and it tries to enhance our national security in totality. This Bill tries to reform the spy agency and in doing so, it is critical that it becomes very objective, non-partisan and serves Kenyans in a way that will ensure that all of us will feel proud members of this nation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think it is very critical for us to have a viable and useful spy agency that is working effectively to deliver on its mandate. I support our intelligence officers to be armed with the state-of-the art ammunition that is available in the market. We put them in dangerous situations every day as they pursue Al Shabaab and other terrorists who are posing real threats to our own country and to this region in which we live. For us to be able to gather critical and useful intelligence information, I think we must enable our officers to be effective in their mandate. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is also important for Parliament to play an oversight role over that intelligence agency. It is important that under Clause 66, there is a position for a parliamentary committee on security and intelligence services. Whether it is in the Bill or not, it is our mandate anyway. It is a role we have to play. It is clearly stated under Clause 66. I think it is critical that where necessary, the intelligence officers working for NIS should have police powers where necessary. I do not think they should have it every other day but, where it is critical and necessary for them to have those powers, I think they should. I think Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA), Mossad and many other agencies in the world have those provisions. But they are carried out with a lot of care and in extraordinary circumstances. I do not think that is at odds or at variance with the spy agencies elsewhere in the world but, again, it should be with a lot of care and under extraordinary circumstances. That is when they should have those police powers. It is important that these officers are hired from all parts of our country. The issue of gender balance should be adhered to as is in our Constitution. We should also ensure that regional balance is considered when the officers are being hired. It is wrong to criminalize the role of Parliamentarians in this country. Every other day, we are told that if you have been a Member of Parliament you cannot serve in any other capacity in this country. I do not think it is a crime to be a Parliamentarian. We are all professionals and we come from various backgrounds. When we are in this House making laws and policies, we should be able to serve this country in any other capacity. I do not agree with Clause 9 of this Bill which says that if you have been a Member of Parliament you cannot serve as a Director General in this service. I do not think that is right. Elsewhere in the world, people who are qualified, and have the necessary technical training and experience are allowed to serve in other capacities. I do not think it is a crime to be a Parliamentarian. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as a country we do face many threats, particularly due to terrorism. We are a neighbour to Somalia and many other countries"
}