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{
    "id": 707832,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/707832/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 324,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ghati",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 856,
        "legal_name": "Dennitah Ghati",
        "slug": "dennitah-ghati"
    },
    "content": "At times some police officers participate in cattle rustling. It is good that this Bill recognises this issue and proposes that any police officer who during his time of duty becomes aware of an impending cattle rustling attack but fails to act should be liable to imprisonment for 10 years. Such an officer should be imprisoned for more than 15 years. Some police officers come from areas where there is no cattle rustling but once they are posted to areas where cattle rustling is practised; they get involved because they have the machines. At times they are used by cattle rustlers for protection. Police officers should not stay in a community like that for over three years. We should even reduce the years. A police officer cannot go to a community and overstay. They need to be transferred very regularly because when they overstay they become culprits. I know that my people are very happy about this Bill. I am sure that they will happily support it. We have women who have been raped, bread winners who have died and young people who do not go to school because there is tension in the border areas. Children in Kugitimo, in Kuria East – which I represent here – do not go to school because school premises are used by raiders as their hideouts. There are so many ills that happen within the community. What happened to the issue of police reservists? I want to bring the issue of police reservist to this House again. A lot of our young people have completed college and university education, and who just loiter in the streets, can serve well as police reservists. They should be trained on how to use guns correctly to provide security. We urge that peace is restored in our borders. As I speak, there is an area in Kuria East Constituency called Ikwabhe-re-kuria. That is an area where people do not sleep because of cattle rustling. I want this House to know that the cattle rustling menace does not just affect the Pokot, the Njemps and the people of the North Eastern Region. The other day we saw a Member of Parliament mobilising his community to go and look for cattle in the Kuria Community. In Migori County, where I come from, we have all these communities. Some of us, like the Kuria Community, are pastoralists. Others are fishermen. We are looking for ways of coexisting. If, for example, someone from Migori Town goes to Isebania and steals cattle, that person needs to be held responsible because he will have destroyed the livelihood of the community he stole from. We need to seriously look at the issues of police transfers. How long should a police officer serve in a community or in an area where he is posted before he gets so comfortable to start engaging in cattle rustling? Those men have to be transferred every three years. The whole issue of fine or 15 years imprisonment for cattle rustlers should not be compromised. That is the only way we can ensure that this legislation becomes an effective law. It is a good step. It is something that is going to happen. Some of us have seen it all. Even my own mother has been a victim of cattle rustling. There was a time when she lost 19 cows. She is a pastoralist. When all her cows were stolen, she cried. She is still crying. She still recalls what happened. She has not forgotten. Cattle rustling is a serious source of pain. It needs to be given the attention it deserves. With those few comments, I commend the Joint Committee. We need to look at the issue of law enforcement so as to avoid the issue of proliferation of illegal firearms amongst our people. We have so many illegal firearms being used in our communities because people are looking for ways of protecting themselves because the law is not protecting them against cattle rustling. So, we need to look at these issues very seriously. Cattle rustling is as serious as any other crime in this country. That is why I feel very passionate about this amendment Bill. Its passage will save my people from rape and being maimed. Women in my constituency will be able to sleep tonight if this Bill becomes law. 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."
}