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{
"id": 421896,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/421896/?format=api",
"text_counter": 213,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
"speaker_title": "March 6,, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 29 The Senate Minority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
"slug": "moses-wetangula"
},
"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. Allow me to congratulate my good friend, Sen. G.G, the distinguished Senator for Laikipia County, a county that has more than its fair share of security challenges in this country, for bringing this Motion. Indeed, Sen. G.G. has constantly been on the frontline in talking about matters security. Madam Temporary Speaker, he has listed many things and articulated them well. I think that it is a concern of this Senate. Take something like road carnage and other serious security challenges that the distinguished Senator for West Pokot has spoken about; until and unless we have serious change in attitudes and approach to these things, we will continue having these challenges. It is not that we do not have the law. We have the law, but it is just corruption and lack of the will to enforce the law. Madam Temporary Speaker, when you take the issue of road carnage and I take this opportunity to send condolences to families in western Kenya, one in Vihiga, that lost 15 members in one road incident--- Yesterday, a truck ran over school children near Webuye, killing them instantly. The roads are there and some are quite motorable. But the problem is failure to observe and enforce the rules. I agree with Sen. Lonyangapuo. How does banning travelling at night reduce road carnage? A speeding and reckless driver will be reckless both in the day and at night. He will continue causing accidents. In fact, many of the bad accidents that we are seeing today occur during the day. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have said before that one man called hon. John Michuki brought sanity to our roads in less than two months, by simply being uncompromising and saying that the law must be followed. Many of us really interacted with hon. Michuki and he used to have a very simple philosophy in life. His was reward and punishment. There were no two ways about it. You are either rewarded for what you do or punished for it. He was able to bring a lot of change. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you look at what is happening between the counties of Pokot and Turkana, the Government cannot just stand aside and watch. They have the capacity, forces and money from taxes, to send personnel to tackle the challenges that those counties are facing. Look at Moyale in Marsabit County; forces from a neighbouring country have been walking in an out of our country at will. Look at Turkana, at the tip near Kibish, the Merilles have been walking in and out of our county at will, yet we have forces. We vote for money every year and we have a well trained army and police. Everytime they go out there on international assignments, they are always feted as the best. Why can they not be the best in Kenya also? This is the problem. Madam Temporary Speaker, until we realize what threats face this country and even those vested with authority to guard our country, lives and realize the enormous responsibility placed on their shoulders, so that we do not see what we saw in form of the bungling of the Westgate Mall--- The other day an explosive device went off at the airport and the Inspector General said that it was a bulb. I was shot at and the Inspector General said that I hit a billboard on a road where there is no billboard. When there are problems, let us not look for excuses. I did not even accuse anybody of shooting at me. I told the police: “My car was shot at. Who did it and why?” It was as simple as that, but then they diverted it and looked even more ridiculous saying that I hit a billboard, where there is absolutely no billboard. This is not just about me, but many Kenyans. You saw 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."
}