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{
    "id": 825632,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/825632/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 339,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. First of all, I must admit that I do not know many of these individuals but substantively I stand here to support the Motion. Probably, based on the guidance you will issue, we could be making some amendments. First of all, I want to deal with the functions of IPOA. Those of us who can remember by going down memory lane we have had a police force that has generally been a law into itself. We have had a police force that has literally trampled on human rights and rights of accused persons. We have had a police force that has treated a suspect as guilty even before being taken before a court of law. I remember the issues leading to the constitutional review of 2010. The independence and impartiality of the police force became central to the discourse leading to the new Constitution. Therefore, the formation of IPOA is a welcome change to the way the police service is handled in this country. Many of us who have watched the work of IPOA want to comment that the performance of the team, whose term has ended has, to the best of my knowledge, been below average. Police brutality, misuse of power and abuse of human rights still remain rampant. Many members of the society have not felt the presence of IPOA. I want to urge the new team; that once they take office, they need to make their presence felt. They need to make the general mwananchi know that they exist. Their role is to protect the rights of mwananchi in view of police harassment. We have so many pending cases arising from the elections of last year. Up to now, very many complaints that were raised, and many issues that were presented before IPOA, have never been investigated and appropriate action taken. We have had so many cases where the National Police Service has actually impeded the work of IPOA and yet we have done nothing other than to watch in dismay and complain. I sincerely urge the team that is taking over to be assertive, take recourse in the law and generally police, so to speak, and oversee the work of the police. For example, in my constituency, cases of harassment are rampant yet as much as we complain very little is ever done. Cases of illegal roadblocks are all over yet nothing is ever done. Complaints The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}