HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 501526,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/501526/?format=api",
"text_counter": 80,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, noting that for over 30 years, these persons have always been utilized by the people of Kenya, can we formally capture and get hold of them? Like the current problem happening in Baringo County where we have an ongoing operation, the people who have become of significant help to the police and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are the Kenya Police Reservists (KPRs) who know the terrain and the geography of the areas and work closely with the people. The only challenge we have in the current active area; that is in Baringo, the sub-county of Tiaty Constituency, there is no single police reservist engaged. The police reservists would have played a crucial role there. That is why you find that the level of lawlessness is more pronounced in that sub- county than in the other neighbouring constituencies or counties. In West Pokot County, we have a few Kenya police reservists. That is why the cattle rustling menace is a bit lower. In Turkana and Samburu counties, it is the same. Where we have this problem in Baringo, we do not have the Kenya police reservists. We need to see the benefits that have always accrued by having these people. In my county, at the border of West Pokot and Turkana counties, the people who have maintained peace and given us significant security there are the Kenya police reservists on both sides. By recognizing them here and having to give them proper training, say, going for two or three months training using, for example, the National Youth Service (NYS) facilities, these people can assist a lot. I remember, currently as they are, whenever a cattle raid is reported, these are the first people who go after the bandits. If we, as a Government, have enjoyed seeing the fruits of these people, how much does it cost us to make them formal and give them something to “eat” when they are protecting us? What we also need to recognize as we consider this amendment, is how do we recruit these people? Who identifies the young men who are given the guns? Which procedure is used? It is not indicated here. You find that there must be a clear procedure of how they are identified. We also do not use them as required, how can you recruit Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) from, for example, West Pokot County where we have a dominant community called Pokot alone to serve their people? When you go to Turkana County- I am using the two counties as an example because I come from that region, - you recruit people from Turkana County who are of Turkana origin alone and they stay with their people. We need to upgrade further, just like it is done in Uganda. At the border of Kenya and Uganda, there are police reservists who come from various communities that live around. They are recruited and put in a camp just like we have the General Service Unit (GSU) or Anti-Stock Theft. If we are expecting this problem to end in the North Rift, like where I come from, we would expect that the Government trains or re-trains the current KPRs who are active or on duty. Then, identify a common area where some from Turkana and West Pokot can be brought and re-trained together until when a hot spot is found where they can be put and they do surveillance. Normally, like in Uganda, the person in-charge of them is a trained GSU or Anti- Stock Theft officer who stays in the same camp with them. They can even be assigned a car so that when they do their surveillance in the night or during the day, with this rough terrain where these other officers will not be able to identify and move around, noting 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."
}