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{
    "id": 327914,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/327914/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
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    "content": "Hon. C. Kilonzo, if you are listening to me, there is a concerted effort and the security cannot only be ensured by one group. The public is also concerned. There are children who are being misled and misused and, therefore, they are taking action. But you will also realize from our report that we have been involved. That is why we have made arrests of not less than 50 people. Even some of the MRC people have been hunted out of their hide-out in the forest and they are now scattered all over and fleeing in different directions. So, the Government, while appreciating what the public is doing, is also taking measures. I have also indicated that there are other measures we are taking, including barazas that we are going to hold starting from Monday in the coastal region. Hon. Dr. Eseli, yes, I share your grievances about the loss of life of police officer, Maitha. I also share your concerns that these police officers who are protecting us should be properly remunerated. I want to assure this House that the matter of delayed salary arrears of police officers is being addressed with the urgency it deserves. We are going to deal with it in the shortest time possible. So, it is one of those things that we have taken up. As a matter of fact, if the Treasury today releases the necessary funds, we will be able to pay the arrears. We do not want police discontent to reach the levels that we have experienced elsewhere. Today, I was supposed to have taken my morning flight from Kisumu to Nairobi. I am told the KQ pilots are also protesting. Their salaries are not good enough. I had to stay at the airport for three hours. So, we are alive to those concerns. Hon. Yakub, I want, on behalf of the Government to appreciate your effort to meet some of the leaders of the MRC and for the effort you made to persuade them not to disrupt national examinations. I also want to encourage you and every other Kenyan of good faith to engage MRC leadership so that they desist from whatever they are doing. The meeting we are going to hold on 15th and other subsequent meetings are intended to bring on board everybody who can help us solve the problem. At this moment, we do not want to discriminate the people who will attend our meetings as MRC, but they are basically leaders in their own right. If we came out specifically and said we are holding a meeting with MRC, then we will be running the risk of the Government being accused of direct engagement with the MRC. But since we know that a lot of those leaders might be sympathetic to the MRC cause, that engagement will be sufficient. Mr. Speaker, Sir, finally, hon. Amina Abdalla was concerned, as to whether we have any knowledge about individuals or associations involved in funding of MRC and other legal organizations, yes, at this point, we have some information. Unfortunately, this type of information is purely scanty. It might not be very useful for me to divulge it at this point in time. We have information that whenever the MRC people are arrested, some rich people run there and bail them out; whatever amount of bail is required. So, those are the financiers that we are putting on notice. Thank you very much."
}