HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 91156,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/91156/?format=api",
"text_counter": 126,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kapondi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 36,
"legal_name": "Fred Chesebe Kapondi",
"slug": "fred-kapondi"
},
"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you! First, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Minister for putting a very brave face and for doing the level best under the circumstances. The Committee has noted those circumstances and is seriously concerned about the kind of funding levels that we have at the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security. The Committee was able to examine the 2010/2011 Printed Estimates of the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security on Monday, 28th June, 2010. The Committee looked at the following areas of interest. One, the Budget Policy Statement, the Financial Statement, 2010/2011 Printed Estimates and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), programmes set out under Vision 2030, the total net requested from the Exchequer by the Ministry, comparison of the previous yearâs allocation, allocation to new projects and programmes, Ministryâs absorption capacity, areas or projects that were left out of the Estimates, proposed allocation vis-a-viz the achievement of the Ministryâs strategic plan, budget for the State corporations under the Ministry, dis-aggregated to district budgets and other issues related to the subject matter. The Committee noted that though there was a slight increase in terms of allocation from the previous Budget of 2009/2010, there were major areas of concern by the Committee. This is one Ministry which is very critical. No serious progress can happen in this country without security. Without security, all the other sectors cannot flourish. Security is critical. It enables other Ministries to perform their tasks as required. Given the fact that law and order essentially rests with this Ministry, it should have been given an allocation that reflects the challenges that it shoulders. Its main responsibility is to ensure that this country is safe. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Ministry has been given another additional responsibility that basically falls under the Administration Police (AP). The responsibility is to ensure that our porous border with Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia is properly patrolled. But when you look at the allocation to this Ministry, what we have been blaming the Police Force and AP for not doing--- I think the onus first is for this House, before we blame the police for not undertaking certain duties. They are overwhelmed because they are under- provided. They lack adequate vehicles and finance for field operations. We shall continue blaming the Police Force and AP and yet, the mistake is basically ours. We do not provide them with adequate funding. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one area which I have stated is non-allocation of funds for recruitment of regular and Administration Police. In the Financial Year 2009/2010 it was not done, and the excuse given was that we had to undertake police reforms, which so far have not taken place, because funds are not available. Even this year, 2010/11, funds for police reforms were not provided in the Budget. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the United Nations ratio of one police officer to 450 civilians has not been met, what we are talking about in this country is a ratio of one to over 1,250. There was no recruitment last year because money was not allocated. This year, money has not been allocated for recruitment of 3,500 policemen, and 3,500 Administration Police officers. Given the fact that the police are overwhelmed because of the challenges that we have pertaining to security, it means we will have more problems unless this is addressed. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we must also bear in mind that every year, there is natural attrition that is taking place among the security personnel. That creates a further gap, especially when we have security threats across the country. In volatile areas in this country, which are along the borders and in the pastoral areas, security has been a major challenge. Our security personnel are not properly provided for when it comes to adequate vehicles. The Minister has stated here that the Ministry has a shortfall of 6,908 vehicles against an authorized capacity of 9,499 vehicles. The amount allocated to the fuel kitty translates to 26 litres. This is for the entire administration to undertake security operations on a daily basis; what service do we expect from the security personnel that are underfunded? Mr. Speaker, Sir, the information that the Committee got is that 80 District Commissioners in this country have no Land Rovers. As you know DCs are chairmen of security committees in their respective districts. Four hundred and thirty eight District Officers have no vehicles. I remember that when I went with the Committee to Samburu, the DO we met at Archers Post had no vehicle; we had to take him round. That was his first time to tour the division that he had been posted to, to undertake work. That clearly shows that we have a serious challenge in terms of security, and we need to provide the Ministry of State for Internal Security and Provincial Administration with adequate funding. On police reforms, further to that, the OCSs who are in charge of 220 police stations and OCPDs have no vehicles. We expect them to apprehend criminals and react to situations as they arise on the ground. We have provided them with 28 litres of fuel. We have not provided many of them with vehicles to move to the field. What do we expect out of such a situation, if not just a blame game from the members of the public, who may not know the depth of the problem that the Ministry in charge of internal security faces? Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee noted that in the Financial Year 2009/2010 National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) got Kshs210 million. This year there was an increase to Kshs310 million. Drugs is a major problem in this country. There is a serious increase in the abuse of drugs. NACADA has not been empowered enough to move to the grassroots. The amount of Kshs310 million is still very inadequate to ensure that their presence is felt right to the grassroots level. In Mombasa it is a serious challenge, yet what we have focused on is just administrative operations and producing pamphlets to educate the public at the headquarters. This area requires further funding. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the office of the Government Printer, the Committee took issue with an error which cost the taxpayers Kshs540,000 during the printing of 3,000 copies of the draft Constitution that contained errors, and which were later destroyed. The Committee saw this as a blatant waste of public funds, and further recommended that the culprits, those who were responsible, be made to answer charges of abuse of office and impropriety. On the creation of districts the Committee felt that we have created them, but we have not factored in money to operationalise them. So, the Committee recommended on Vote R01 that, despite the serious challenges that the Ministry faces, the proposal by the Minister to withdraw from the Consolidated Fund a sum of Kshs41,702,179,390 for the Recurrent Expenditure be approved, and also that the Ministry be allowed to raise Kshs593,528,471 as Appropriations-in-Aid in order to finance its operations. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee further recommends, on Vote D01, that the proposal by the Minister to withdraw from the Consolidated Fund a sum of Kshs3,929,474,000 for the Development Expenditure be approved, and that the Ministry be allowed to raise Kshs70 million as Appropriations-in-Aid to finance its operations. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee finally recommends that come the next financial year, let there not be a repeat of what we get now and what was there in the last financial year, if we are serious with the security situation in this country. We are recommending that this Ministry be adequately funded to ensure that we have security and order in this country."
}