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{
    "id": 666078,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/666078/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 226,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. F. K. Wanyonyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "Secondly, I come from a place called “Kapkoi” in the North Rift. There are people who suffered during the clashes. Up to now those people are staying in tents at market places because they have not gone back to their farms. After listening to a number of Members who have talked in this House, I am of the opinion that rather than support this Motion, I would rather oppose it and reframe it. All is not lost. It should be reframed to read that this House resolves that the national Government declares cattle rustling a national disaster and sets up a special fund not to compensate but to assist victims of cattle rustling. This is because you cannot compensate. I have been to those places. How do you compensate someone’s life? How will you compensate somebody who moved from one place to another 20 years ago? Therefore, the funds that are supposed to be set aside should assist the families rather than compensate them. This is because compensation cannot be quantified. Hon. Janet is here. We attended funerals of two people who were killed by cattle rustlers. Because of insecurity these people are forced to stay with livestock in their houses. Cattle rustlers created a disturbance and when people came out, they were shot dead. That was their end. They took cattle and went away. We buried that man. We are helping the family to go back to normal life. However, with no National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF), I am not able to assist the families. I would rather we rephrase this Motion. We should resolve as a House that we recognise that people have suffered as a result of this primitive way of living and, therefore, set up a fund to assist rather than compensate the families of those who are internally displaced. The other problem I have had is that some of the places at the border have set up the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) that is supposed to be dealing with cattle rustling. If you go to my place, you will find that there is a camp called “Biketi” where there are 60 officers. They are poorly equipped and when cattle rustlers, who are better equipped with machine guns engage them, they drive the livestock away. For us to clear this menace, we should equip the personnel, particularly the ASTU so that they can deal with these people as they come. Lastly, another solution is for the Government to encourage inter-tribal discussions. We have been doing that with West Pokot. We do not have that menace now because we used the churches to discuss with them. Cattle rustling has reduced. There are only isolated cases where somebody comes and drives away 10 head of cattle. Setting up a compensation fund will encourage the so-called warlords, who fund and equip the youth to raid. We should go the modern route of talking to the tribes as the Turkana and the Pokots or the Luhyas on this side of Trans Nzoia and Pokots have done it in the past. It is very peaceful now. It is better than encouraging people to fight. The moment we set up a fund like this for compensations, the warlords will engage it as a business. They will arm the youth to go and raid villages. Apart from getting cows, it will be business. We had cases where people drove cattle all the way from West Pokot to Chwele Market in Bungoma County. That is where they sold the cattle at throw-away prices. All is not lost for the Mover of this Motion. I can sit with him so that we redraft this Motion so that it makes sense in these modern times. Given that view and after listening to a number of Members here, I oppose the Motion as it is."
}