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{
    "id": 420594,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/420594/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 248,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Phillip Ransley task force was formed, it came up with several issues. One of them is what we are discussing here. This issue was not fulfilled by the Government that was in power and even the current one has not done so. One of the issues that was recommended by Ransley was a comprehensive medical insurance cover to take care of the health of officers and their families. So, it is not something new. I want the House to know that Ransley was not a Kenyan, but he could identify these problems. The other issue was for the Government to make sure that there is compensation for the officers who die while serving this country. I just want to bring up a very devastating issue which was raised by my bodyguard when he read the Order Paper in the car yesterday. He turned to me and told that the bodyguards of the late Prof. George Saitoti were not compensated. Their families were paid absolutely nothing. The question we are asking is: Do these officers know how safe you and I are? We are guarded by the same officers who are aware that their colleagues have died. One officer who was guarding an Assistant Minister was not compensated. We are endangering our lives thinking that we are safe, while we are not. Sen. Elachi has talked about the deaths in Tana River County. Baragoi was more painful and totally unacceptable. This was demonstrated very clearly by the Inspector General of Police. The officers who had been sent to Baragoi were young officers. They were fresh from college. They were sent to the ground and we all know what happened. These young officers had sent their children to schools. From there, they were hired by the Government which is the top employer in this country. When they died, that was the end of the story. We are sending a very strong message to the Government. Kenyans in this country have equal rights and that is what the Constitution says. We, as leaders, can change that in this House. Once we walk out of this House, we should be respected. The respect will not come from the cars that we drive. No, it will not land on us because of the houses that we live in. It is not the lunches that we eat at the Intercontinental Hotel or Serena that will bring us respect. Our respect will be based on the services that we have given to Kenyans who cannot stand on this Floor and ask for their rights. I want to assure this House that if we pass this Motion, we will move forward and help Kenyans without appearing to be serving our own interests. That is what leadership means. Kenya is not performing well when it comes to attending to the concerns of those who deserve to be taken care of. We tend to think about what the Office of the President is spending and what is available to the Ministers, elected Members of Parliament, Senators and Principal Secretaries. However, I want to quote what JM Kariuki said before he died. “This is a country of seven millionaires and seven million beggars.” When you go to your home or wherever else you go, you depend on the security people. If you woke up at night and found the house burning, you would have to look for three keys; one to open the wooden door, another to open the steel door and another one to open the gate to allow your neighbours to come in and rescue you. It is time to change. We have created this, but we can change it. If we can install confidence in these officers and take care of them, there would be peace, unity and protection of lives in this country. 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."
}