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{
    "id": 514747,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/514747/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 436,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Gethenji",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2874,
        "legal_name": "James Ndungu Gethenji",
        "slug": "james-ndungu-gethenji"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for this opportunity. I stand in solidarity with the people of Mandera County and the Governor who recently suffered an attack. We would just like to support the efforts by the Kenya Government, and all the re-engineering that has been done recently of the security architecture. You remember in the last parliamentary Session, we passed the National Security (Amendment) Act. This Act has given us the opportunity to even empower the security actors in this country to detect and deter criminals and terrorists. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the activities they are pursuing inside Somalia through AMISOM is under the mandate of the UN and the African Union. If there is a request by the people of Mandera and Kenyans at large that the KDF should be deployed to Mandera then that can be brought to the Floor of this House in a substantive motion and not through this Motion for Adjournment. A substantive Motion can be brought and we can approve that the KDF be deployed. Generally, this House has passed, in the last one year or so five interventions by the KDF in support of the civil authority. When the civil authorities declare that they are unable to deal with an internal security matter, it is then and only then that the KDF can be requested to be deployed. Even if AMISOM was to be asked to allow the KDF to be deployed along the border on the Somalia side, that will be a very long process. If it is the desire of the Kenyan people for the KDF to be deployed then the shortest route is through the Floor of this House. In our Westgate Report and various reports we have made to this House and elsewhere, we have made several observations which could actually make a big difference in securing the border area in Mandera. One of the areas is Bulahawa, which is the buffer zone between Somalia and Kenya. This area is completely populated. There is no buffer zone between Somalia and Kenya and the built-up area is right up to the border of Kenya and Somalia. Therefore, we do not know the difference that exists between the people who live in that area. We do not know whether they are on the Kenyan side or the Somalia side. There is a lot of intermingling there. This creates a very viable environment for terrorists to operate within. They hide amongst the populace and carry out their activities without being detected. On the issue of the Governor for Mandera County, I would request that he makes an application. The law that we passed on national security provides that people who 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."
}