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{
    "id": 868952,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/868952/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 56,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Khaniri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 171,
        "legal_name": "George Munyasa Khaniri",
        "slug": "george-khaniri"
    },
    "content": "First, I wish to register my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones in this heinous act. I also register my sympathy to those who were injured during this attack. I believe terrorism has no place in the world of today and as such, this only makes us stronger. This is not the first attack; from the Westgate Mall to Mpeketoni, to Garissa University, to El Ade, even with all these attacks, we remain unbowed. I commend the security forces for their quick response that enabled quick evacuation and saving of so many lives. There were also several civilian licensed gun- holders who promptly responded to the call of duty without fear and placed their lives in harm’s way to save lives. The police leadership and command deserve a pat on the back because throughout the more than 12 hours of the attack, the rescue mission was well coordinated and consistently gave clear and uniform communication. This does not only give hope to all the affected but also calmed the country and exhibited their prowess and organization. The estimates that over 700 people were safely evacuated from the building are a statement of the lessons learnt by our security forces from previous attacks. We have so many heroes and heroines from this attack that should be recognized by the state. As is always the case, the Kenya Red Cross Society of responded to the attack and organized not only first-aid and hospital transfer, but also counseling desks for both victims and their families. Other ambulance services also responded and it is important we recognize them. The injured were taken to various hospitals where they were attended to, and in turn, this reduced the number of would-be fatalities. Images of long queues of people waiting to donate blood at various blood donation centres, people serving meals to the security forces and affected families free of charge during the police operation and thousands of goodwill messages and prayers from Kenyans from all walks of life regardless of religion, race, tribe or even political affiliation, were truly refreshing and a source of pride and comfort to the entire nation. The leaders of this country also portrayed true patriotism as they held press conferences just to condole the affected and their families and also reminded Kenyans that in this war on terror, we must be united in order to win. The local media performed exceptionally well in the dissemination of information. Such courage is usually a very tough balancing act because of the dangers involved. The media should not give out information that can be used by terrorists and at the same time provide real time, true and concise information to the public, which is important as it enables them decipher the situation and reduce the extent of propaganda that the terrorist groups might propagate to instill fear. The current debate on the issue of providing firearms to security guards needs to be thought through carefully. We might end up creating an even bigger problem. While allowing security guards to have firearms has worked in some jurisdictions, it may not be applicable for us and it might be exploited and cause chaos. Most of the security guards are poorly paid and work in extremely stressful situations. Imagine a poor hungry and angry armed security guard, this can be very dangerous."
}