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{
    "id": 382431,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382431/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 135,
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    "content": "good because that discovery of oil is going to transform this country. Even the lack of resources we are pleading about when we are faced with the teachers’ strike should be a thing of the past when we increase our revenues through the discovery of oil and gas and mining in this country. So, we should not deny high potential productive areas good roads. What we should do is add to those roads the roads that will sort out security in this country. I do agree with the two speakers who have spoken before me that really, without peace and security, there can be no socio-economic development and transformation of any country. So, it is a basic need. I remember when we used to fight for human rights and there was war in Somalia. The people were asking human rights groups in Kenya why they were not operating in Somalia where there was massive abuse of human rights. Why are you focused in Nairobi? So, even for human rights groups to effectively perform, they need certain basics as far as security is concerned. So, peace and security transcends other human rights. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am also convinced that although many people believe that we in Meru have benefited a lot from roads and we should not be talking about them, the Meru County is also prone to insecurity and cattle rustling in the areas where we border our neighbours in Isiolo. Indeed, we have had meeting with Sen. (Dr.) Kuti to try and find out how we can stop the cattle rustling in our region. When we meet with the Boranas, they say it is the Samburus. When we meet with the Samburus, they say it is the Turkana. I remember at one time, 600 cows were stolen in Meru. We tried to follow them and we had a leaders’ meeting in Isiolo. The Borana elders told us that it was true those cattle passed there, but we could combine efforts and follow them. The boys were followed and, subsequently, the Samburu wazees were called. They said that it was true that their boys took the cattle, but they were subsequently stolen by the Turkana. They told us that if we combined efforts, then we could follow them. We then gave up. There is need for us to do good roads in Samburu, Shaba, Meru North and Isiolo, so that we reduce cattle rustling and insecurity. I think Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o raised a fundamental point that we must take seriously: That merely doing good roads is not enough. We, as a Government, must take insecurity more seriously. We could be facilitating cattle rustlers to change form, come up with modern methods of cattle rustling like moving in lorries and other equipment which would make them take away more cattle. We need to be very tough on cattle rustlers. I have been in Parliament for over 20 years, but I have not heard of a single cattle rustler charged in court with either robbery with violence, or even stock theft. The people we meet in court are chicken and goat thieves. People who commit livestock theft on large scale are not arrested. There seem to be two legal regimes in the country. When it comes to cattle rustling, that is left to the elders. We then go and talk about peace. This is taken as a war kind of situation which has to be resolved through other means. Time has come for us to define a cattle rustler as a thief and as a robber. A cattle rustler should be treated as an armed robber who robs a bank. That person should be arrested, not only by the policemen, but by members of the public and handed over to the police so that the law applies to them just as it applies to others. Unless, in our own minds, we define cattle rustling as a crime punishable by law, then we will not construct roads. We will have a lot of peace meetings and this practice will never stop. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}