Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 487032,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/487032/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 267,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Lay",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1022,
        "legal_name": "Joyce Wanjalah Lay",
        "slug": "joyce-wanjalah-lay"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, security surveillance equipment is a welcome idea in our country. It is a very good initiative to curb insecurity in our country. Recently, we have been facing insecurity issues, especially along our borders, particularly in Lamu, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and such places. So, it is long overdue for our security agencies to have modern equipment. The people who come to attack us outsmart us most of the time. They have better equipment than our security agencies. It becomes very difficult for us to know who is attacking us. It becomes very difficult even for us to know what it is that they are planning. There were issues that were raised during the tendering process for the equipment and it is very important, going forward, that everything is made clear. Transparency should be applied and as the National Assembly, we should not deviate from our role of providing oversight. We should not be used as a rubberstamp to authorise tenders or anything else that is given out there in a manner that is not transparent. When it comes to public monies, it is our role to make sure that everything that is done in the country is done in a transparent manner. Sometimes it results to a blame game. We keep on blaming each other. We say that such a thing was done when so-and-so was in the Government but we forget that it is our role, as the National Assembly, to make sure that we oversee the Executive. We hear about things that happened during the previous coalition Government. They are being brought out right now. Everybody is apportioning blame saying that so- and-so was in charge. We forget that they were all in the Government. They were all in charge. For example, on the issue of land, all of them were in Parliament. It was their responsibility to make sure that every tender or project that is undertaken by the Executive is scrutinised by the National Assembly. It is our duty to oversee the national Government. It is our duty to oversee the usage of public monies that are being spent at the national level. Hon. Speaker, the issue of where surveillance cameras will be placed is crucial. We need to train the people who are going to be charge of the surveillance system. We cannot just say that we can place them on the road or on the streets. Very many things happen, especially in slum areas and on the back streets, where we cannot see what is happening. It is, therefore, very important to follow up to make sure that the surveillance cameras are not necessarily placed in areas we know are prone to danger but also in other areas where we cannot even suspect people hide to plan evil against us. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}