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{
    "id": 382428,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382428/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
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    "content": "should go back to the infrastructure that was built by the colonialists and make sure that they are at the grassroots level. For example, the chief had the power over tribal police and so on; that we have real power and authority at the grassroots level for maintaining peace and order. If we do not do so, all building of roads and accessing telephones, will be better used by the criminals rather than the Government to maintain peace and security. Lastly, Madam Temporary Speaker, there is something called Rapid Response Units (RRU) which Sen. G.G. Kariuki has spoken about here very well. It is extremely important to have RRU from the village going up to the county headquarters. RRU will only exist if they know that when they respond, they will be protected and listened to. At the moment, I see a great deal of fear mongering in the countryside. If you want to respond, you think that subsequently, the people in charge of security will inform the thieves who will come to your village and finish you. This is what usually happens. The good citizens who inform rapidly, are the ones who are gotten rid of rapidly by the criminals. So, again, the protection of the RRU can only be there, if we have a governmental infrastructure at the grassroots level with legitimacy and with the authority to use power to ensure that security exists at the grassroots level. This is so important because unless we have all these things from the bottom upwards, and not imposed from the top downwards, very little will happen. This was the logic behind devolution. This is something that we in the Senate who are the protectors and the promoters of this devolution should ensure that it is carried out in the day to day practice of Government. It does not just exist in theory, but it becomes an ethic of administration; a principle of administration in grassroots government, beginning from the village upwards. Madam Temporary Speaker, that RRU at one time existed in Kenya. We had the so called Nyumba Kumi business. I do not know why we are running away from that. This is where groups of ten households came together and handled a lot of things in the villages, including security. If, indeed, we should stop reinventing the wheel and use institutions and structures that have worked in the past so well, I think we shall be doing a lot to ensure that we have peace and security in this nation. As my dear Senator who spoke before me said, without peace and security implemented and carried out properly, there will be very little development of our nation. I beg to support."
}