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{
    "id": 421930,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/421930/?format=api",
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    "content": "freedoms.” So, the core responsibility of the police, that we expect from that force, is not found in that article. I think that this is an important omission that needs to be looked into and, probably, reviewed. You will realize that unlike the other provisions, like Article 242, where there is something to the effect that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) may perform any other functions prescribed by the national legislation, you do not find a similar provision in relation to the National Police Service other than what you find in Article 243, which does not deal with the responsibilities of the National Police Service. Normally, it is basically about the establishment of the National Police Service. So, to that effect, I think that at some point in time, and during the review which hon. G.G. Kariuki is asking for, this is probably an area that we will need to look into. Even if it requires using additional words to define in extenso the responsibilities of the National Police Service, then let it be so in the Constitution. This is because all other institutions, like the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, if you read it, you can clearly understand what their responsibilities and functions are. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, having said that, the main question is not about just dealing with crime, but the symptoms why Kenya is going the wrong way in terms of not being a safe environment for citizens to carry out their activities without fear. That would not require turning Kenya into a police state, because that is also a way of dealing with the problem; where you cannot move an inch without being stopped on the road and asked your particulars, where you are going to and come from and whether you have an identity card. I think that these were practices that were there during the colonial days. Those were all driven towards ensuring that the environment was safe, although, safety at that time was safety of the settlers. I think it should be emphasized again and again that securing our borders is not necessarily effected by building walls around the borders or having more police officers. This is not also about having many guns and equipment or the rest of the paraphernalia handled by security organs. The first point is to create a society that is envisaged in our Constitution in the preamble. The preamble talks about what we want Kenya to be as a nation with the principles of social equality and a safe environment; all that is in the preamble; apart from what is in the substantive parts of the Constitution. Kenya is on a daily basis becoming an unequal nation. We must be concerned about the gap between the rich and the poor. The late JM Kariuki said that Kenya is a nation of seven millionaires and seven million beggars. He was trying to make the point that as long as Kenya in an unequal society, then we cannot be safe. The starting point is to ensure that Kenya moves very quickly to a first world economy where every citizen, every child and every woman in this country can get the full benefits of being a citizen of this country. Otherwise, the trend we are seeing in Kenya and all over in our cities, reminds me of Charles Dickens’s novel; A Tale of TwoCities . Those two cities exist in one city like the City of Nairobi. If you overfly this city, you will see that this is not one city. These are two cities and they could even be many cities in one. One part of the city which is a city on its own has people living in deplorable standards, worse than living in rural areas. The world over; where we have slums and ghettos, basic needs cannot be met. These areas become the breeding places for crime and insecurity. Dealing with that is part of dealing with insecurity. 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."
}