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{
    "id": 355769,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/355769/?format=api",
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    "content": "for that reason that I seek leave to adjourn the House. Therefore, I beg to move that the House adjourns. I have said, of course, that it is with sadness that I move this Motion. As we speak now, Kenyans all over the country are living in fear. This is particularly so in my county, where there have been attacks against the people, and no steps have been taken by the Government to contain the situation. A total of 13 people have been killed in Bungoma County, and over 125 people have been critically injured. The injured are admitted at various hospitals in Bungoma and the surrounding areas. Some of those killed are innocent peasant farmers and children aged between two and 10. This makes the matter serious. This is happening, yet we have a Government in place. The people of Bungoma County and the other areas where the attacks have occurred are asking: Where is the Government when all this is happening? Where is the security machinery? Where are the police? Where are the people responsible for the security of the people of Kenya? This is not a stateless country or a country without a Government. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you read a story from Bungoma which said that some women had their hands chopped off while some children had their eyes gouged out, and many were left with deep panga cuts. Such attacks were only witnessed in Liberia and Sierra Leone where crimes against humanity were committed. These crimes should not be witnessed in this country. When we had a meeting with the leaders in our county, it was established that there was no information about these attacks. Even during the operation – on Thursday last week – the attackers still moved from village to village attacking and cutting villagers without taking anything. That happened between 9.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m. This was the case, yet, they were not intercepted by the police although communication is very easy in this era. This is because members of the public know how they can reach the police and other people. They called the District Commissioner and other officers but the attackers were not intercepted, nor were they pursued and arrested. The situation is now getting out of hand. We have been asking where the Government is. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also wish to seek a clarification from the Government as to whether the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has a role to play in the security of the country. Information is supposed to be gathered for purposes of early warning and prevention of crime. I believe that this is the responsibility of the NIS. I am sure hon. Members will recall that in this financial year’s Budget, a whopping Kshs13.5 billion was allocated to the NIS. That organization should play its role with this kind of budget or allocation. Is that allocation commensurate to what that security organ is doing to provide information for early warning and prevention of crime, dealing with insecurity in country, ensuring that criminals are apprehended, ensuring that the Government is on top of things and ensuring that any plans for attacks anywhere in this country are prevented and/or the attackers are arrested and brought to justice? What is the NIS doing about these attacks because the motive is unknown? When we interacted with the security machinery in the county, they said that there is no information about the attacks. It is for this reason that I am asking whether we should maintain this huge budget allocation to the NIS. I think we should not. Members should look critically at the budget allocation to the NIS and possibly reduce it, so that the additional funds can go to more productive use."
}