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{
    "id": 566931,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/566931/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 297,
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to say, without fear of contradiction, that the national Government has no basis for being in Mandera. I say this because the Al Shabaab has an arrogance which can make them strike any time they want. They know that there would be no response to whatever they would do in Mandera. Motions have come here many times. Sen. Billow has brought the pattern many times. Parliament, including the Senate, has become a laughing stalk in Mandera. We went there led by my Chairman. I thought that there would be change in Mandera. The people there discussed with us and told us what was going on. At that time, it looked like they had no faith in what the Government could do for them concerning matters of security. It appeared as if the only people who have faith in the systems in Kenya are those seeking employment in Mandera. I was very happy when we went there with my Chairman of the Committee on Security and Foreign Relations. We found that there were Kenyans from all over the country that were not prepared to leave Mandera. They said that they would continue being there, regardless of whatever was happening. They said that they were prepared to serve in Mandera. The only people who left were teachers of public schools. Teachers of private schools were still there. These are brave people showing that they are prepared to live like Kenyans, whatever it takes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at what is happening in the country in totality; in Wajir, Garissa, Lamu, West Pokot, Isiolo and Kitui, the national Government of Jubilee has failed in matters security. That failure has given terrorists a lot of arrogance to attack us whenever they want. They need to do something. Chest-thumping cannot be used to fight terrorism. They need to sit down and make sure that security forces are well organised and well equipped. Sen. G.G. Kariuki, probably, knows this better. Chest-thumping will not work. What is required is that commitment to security being the pursuit of the right to life – which is the first right under the Constitution – should be fully protected. If that continues at this level with the falling shilling and many tourists not coming to Kenya because of issues to do with security, then, even the economy will suffer. I was in Baringo recently. People there are living as if they are in a military conflict. In Baringo, children have not been in school for about three months, leave alone Mandera and Wajir. One of the chiefs who came to discuss with us about the security problem in Baringo, out of love for the country, has been arrested and charged purely because he met us to discuss issues to do with security. The Government should be brave and accept that insecurity is a national problem; but it has to come up with ways of dealing with it. Chest-thumping will never make the lives of people secure. You need a professional police organ where merit counts. There are complaints within the police and other security organs regarding the way they are organised. If we do not address those issues, we will continue seeing more and more of what is happening in Mandera. The problem in Mandera is that not two or three people are killed. Every time, there is an attack, 20, 50 or 60 people are killed. Children, people from other areas, Christians, Muslims and everybody else suffer. Some of us have either read the Koran or the Bible. Jesus Christ said that he is a good shepherd and he would not leave one sheep in a flock of a hundred or a thousand. 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."
}