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{
    "id": 84246,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/84246/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 214,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 148,
        "legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
        "slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
    },
    "content": "all the Ministers who had appeared before the Committee had denied that there had been recruitment. What we want to do is to actually address the root cause of why those young people had been lured into that recruitment. The problem is unemployment and poverty. That problem is not only in northern Kenya, it cuts across this country. The census has shown that over 70 per cent of our population comprise of the youth of this nation. Over 40 per cent of the young people are unemployed. So, what we are having is a time bomb which is ticking away, and which can explode and blow up this country, unless we address this problem. As a nation, the greatest resource that we have is human resource. If 70 per cent of this is wasted through unemployment and hopelessness, then we are in problem. If you look at the young people whom we met at Manyani, they have nothing to lose. They have already lost hope. If they were told to go and fight alongside the troops of the Transitional National Government of Somalia, or they were told to go and fight with Al Shabaab, they would have nothing to lose. They would risk their lives to go and do anything in order to get the US$1,000 or US$6,000 that they had been promised. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, indeed, if there was anything else apart from the recruitment that they would be forced to do, they would do it. Some have been forced into piracy. So, this is a matter we need to address and address urgently. We recommend that all those who are involved in the luring of these young people, who have, unfortunately, been turned into a commercial venture, action be taken against them. They should be investigated. We came across ex-army fellows, who were behind the recruitment. When we were in Garissa, their names were given. Some of them are known to the locals, the Provincial Administration as well as to the leadership of that region. Therefore, urgent steps should be taken against them as well as against Government officials who were involved in this unlawful exercise. It was not just the families that were affected but also the security of this country was threatened because Al Shabaab is a reality. This grouping is not very far away from us. It has the capacity and the capability of striking this country. We have seen the ugly hand of Al Shabaab in our neighbouring country, Uganda. That is in the City of Kampala. They have the capacity to strike this country. So, whatever we do, we must not comprise our national security and allow a few people who have engaged in this dangerous venture to get away scot-free. Action should be taken against all those who were involved. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what we also came across was the shocking state of our porous borders. We went to Dadab Refugee Camp and we were shocked that the security arrangement at the borders leaves a lot to be desired. It is totally porous. There are very many people who move in from Somalia. There are many corrupt officials who are involved at the borders and have allowed many people to slip in. Our worry was that with these porous borders, if we do nothing to strengthen the security controls, how many of the citizens of Somalia have slipped into this country through those borders? How many have gone to Garissa and have come through Thika to Eastleigh? The most worrying thing is the situation that would follow after the training of the young people. If they went and fought alongside Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Al Shabaab, they will come back home after the fighting. When they come back you do not expect that they will be in Garissa or Wajir. Nothing would stop them from coming to Eastleigh in this City. Since they are highly trained, they will be killing machines and they will be unemployed. Our worry is on"
}