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    "id": 729395,
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    "content": "The issue that has occupied us almost the whole afternoon is the ratio of police officers to citizens. The recommended number by the United Nations (UN) is 1 to 400. I was very proud to hear the President tell us as a nation, as a matter of fact, that the ratio currently is 1 to 380 which is below the UN expected ratio. This should be lauded. It is not something that you go behind to dig holes and come and tell us that the figures are not correct. It is not fair and right to tell the citizens of this country that the figures that the President gave are not correct. When you say that the President gave false figures yet you cannot substantiate it, and then you come the following day and apologise, it is not right. We must take the higher ground, the responsibility and privilege that we have as leaders to tell our people the truth. This must be regardless of where we sit or the positions we hold. Yes, it is right to criticize. We stand by that right. It is provided for in our Constitution but in my honest opinion, my very strongly held view is that it must be done responsibly without playing to the gallery so that the people can actually see what the truth is. Criticism cannot and should never be for the sake of it. In the last few years, we have tried very hard at every level in every county, constituency and ward to fight drug, alcohol and substance abuse. This is a responsibility that all of us must take even to higher grounds because we know how much drug and alcohol abuse has destroyed our people, particularly the youth. We know the cost that it has had on our nation. Again, I encourage the Government, particularly the Ministry of Devolution and National Planning to take up this matter much more seriously and fight it much more seriously so that we can have a sober nation. This is because a sober nation is a strong nation that will go towards 2030, when we hope to have achieved our middle income level, and therefore, stand amongst other nations towards being a developed nation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, finally, because I know that time will not allow, let me talk about the programmes that the Government is undertaking. There has been misconception and misleading information by people who do not want to appreciate what the Government has done. There are people who keep on saying that the projects that the Jubilee Government is currently doing are a carry-over from the previous Government. This begs the question: What is expected of a current Government except first of all to build on the foundation that was already there and therefore, make it stronger and more visible and even finish the projects that were there? Was somebody suggesting that because the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was mooted during the Kibaki regime, that therefore, the Jubilee Government should not complete it? That is a misconception and a fallacious argument because the important thing is the impact this SGR will have in our nation. I am excited because the completion of the SGR, at least to Nairobi before it moves on to Naivasha, Malaba, Kisumu and other capitals will have an impact. I hope I will be one of the people, who will ride on it on 1st June, 2017. Apart from the faster movement of goods and people, it will reduce the accidents between the highways in Mombasa and Nairobi, Malaba and Kisumu because I am sure more people will be travelling on the SGR. I would have no need to fly to Mombasa because by the time I leave my office and go to the airport an hour before and then leave the airport in Mombasa and take about 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"
}