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{
    "id": 501540,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/501540/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 94,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ongoro",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 125,
        "legal_name": "Elizabeth Ongoro Masha",
        "slug": "elizabeth-ongoro"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this amendment. If you read the original Act – I am referring to Section 110 of the National Police Act – you will find it amazing that it recognizes the existence of police reservists. However, it does not recommend that they be recognized as members of the disciplined forces. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this brings us to the big question which I believe, considering the recent events in the country, is in the minds of all Kenyans. The big question is: How do you entrust a person with a firearm which has the capacity to take life but you do not accompany that capacity with ensuring that this person has got adequate capacity to make good decisions? You do not ensure that this person carrying a firearm has all his welfare issues taken care of and you do not engage him in a structured format that ensures close supervision. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think some problems are self-inflicted. We cannot continue with this obtaining scenario. Anybody who is licensed by the Government to carry a firearm - and if the Government has accepted the existence of police reservists and given them firearms – then it is obligated to ensure that these people are adequately trained, their welfare issues are taken off and they are supervised closely so that we know who is owning which gun at what time and how many bullets have been supplied and used to ensure we sustain accountability. In this kind of scenario that we find ourselves in as a country, other questions also beg a lot of answers. For example, what is the age limit of people who qualify to be recruited as reservists? Who conducts their recruitment? How do we ensure regional and ethnic balance especially in cosmopolitan areas? Who does the follow up on their activities? What happens when these people die or get injured in the line of duty? Do they take care of themselves while they are executing a mandate given to them by the Government? But if they die or they are injured in the line of duty, they are left to cater for themselves. 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."
}