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{
"id": 46837,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/46837/?format=api",
"text_counter": 135,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
"speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I today want to talk about the security situation in Turkana North District, and also generally about our national borders. Mr. Speaker, Sir, about two weeks ago, at least 20 Kenyans were killed by Merille militia from the neigbouring Ethiopia. This round of killings came after a fairly prolonged period of calm and peace in the area, following the peace accord signed by the two communities in 2006 in Todonyang. The prolonged period of relative calm notwithstanding, the recent attacks left our citizens feeling vulnerable and unprotected. The attacks raised questions about the security at our borders. In my Statement this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will outline the measures the Government is taking to address the unfortunate murders in Todonyang and to secure all our borders. These measures were deliberated and agreed on by the Cabinet Committee on Security under the chairmanship of His Excellency the President, Mwai Kibaki, who is also the Commander in Chief of the Republic of Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, at the outset, I make it clear that we accept that our primary responsibility as a Government is to protect the life and property of our citizens. In line with our Constitution, we shall promote and guarantee the national security of Kenya. We shall protect our countryâs sovereignty and territorial integrity against internal and external threats in line with our Constitution. When I led the Ministerial delegation to Todonyang one week ago, I was shocked. In the Omo/Turkana Delta, well within the Kenyan side of the KenyanâEthiopia border, the Merille were preparing the land for cultivation. In the adjacent arid land, the Turkana were languishing for lack of food. Even the District Commissioner (DC) could not access the delta, neither could our security officers. I was informed that about 2,500 Merilles live there, 900 among them armed militia. They use the arms to kill our citizens, while exploiting our land and water resources. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are taking steps to put these acts of aggression to a stop once and for all. For a start, the Government has directed the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, in conjunction with the Ministry of State for Defence, to ensure that the 2,500 Merilles residing in the River Omo Delta are relocated to Ethiopia. The Government has equally directed the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that the broken and dilapidated boundary beckons are repaired. The Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security has been tasked to scale up our security presence in this area. It will increase the number of police officers in the area, upgrade Todonyang Police Post to a Police Station, and provide it with necessary facilities and equipment. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I said at the start, we are determined to secure all our borders, and not just the Kenya/Ethiopia border. Consequently, we have directed the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, together with the Ministry of Lands, to fasttrack the delimitation, demarcation and alienation of Kenyanâs boundaries"
}