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{
    "id": 501599,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/501599/?format=api",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have had very ugly cases in some parts of this country. For example, what happened in Kapedo is very fresh in our minds. We have had ugly cases in northern Kenya and other parts of this country. Some of us are afraid to visits those areas due to insecurity. We concentrate in areas where we think there is peace. We would like to have a country where there is free movement of people. We can only guarantee mobility of labour if there is peace in the country. Recently, we saw soldiers dying in Suguta Valley. This is a notorious valley where bandits hide and move with a lot of ease and nothing happens to them. Is it that they are so organized that they cannot be defeated? Is it impossible for Kenyan soldiers to get rid of these gangs? Is it impossible that somebody can quietly be killed and nothing happens? This is what is happening in some parts of Kenya. If insecurity continues, then our lives will be in danger. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, most of us have had opportunity to go out and we see other people living in peace. You might wonder why some countries have peace despite the large population. For example, China has a population of almost 1.3 billion people and yet there is peace. You can walk in and out of a building and not encounter problems. You cannot witness violence because they are covered by police network. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Uganda and Rwanda have a good security network. You cannot do something undesirable and escape unnoticed. This is what we are asking Kenya to do. We have had problems with security in this country for a long time and one wonders what would happen if investors come. There are some people who would invest because they have their own personal police protection and others can afford to operate their own private gangs because they have money and knowledge. This is what might eventually happen. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if this continues, how long shall we be alive and what would be the security of our movement in Nairobi, other urban centres and the rural areas? We are afraid. That is why we are here. It is impossible to use “foreign forces” in the sense that you send people in a strange and difficult terrain where they cannot walk or drive and expect them to curb crime. These areas are like Suguta, Kapedo and Mpeketoni. We need to have people who have the knowledge of survival. These are the Kenya Police Reservists (KPRs). This is well catered for in this Bill and it is what we are discussing. If we do not adopt this, we will live in fear and no investor will come to our country. As a result of that, we will end up nose diving when it comes to economic recovery. This reminds me of a time when America was battling out with Vietnam. The Americans could not conquer Vietnam. The Vietnamese knew where to hide, which tree would shield them from bullets and they knew when to attack. They were used to the heavy torrential tropical rainfall in Vietnam which Americans were not used to. As a result of that, Americans had to surrender to this kind of natural weapon which is the rainfall. We have areas in Kenya where climatic conditions, terrain, nature of communication and even vegetation will not attract some soldiers. Some of our soldiers are not trained in that combat gear. As a result, they cannot circumvent people who are used to that region. 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."
}