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{
    "id": 918749,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/918749/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 279,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "with mercury, imagine what would happen to this country if drugs that were either expired or not considered fit for human consumption found their way into this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, these are not very simple issues. It is not about ego. It is not that we, as Senate, feel that it is a must for us to be considered. We cannot abrogate our responsibilities. We will be failing the oath of office that we took when we were sworn in this House to uphold and defend the Constitution if we allow laws to be made without following proper procedure. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, just speaking in general, in terms of respect for the rule of law and order, there are things that I have watched happening in this country that continue to disturb me. I know there is a matter that will come before us in the next 14 days as the Chair had directed earlier, regarding the NPS. When the police behave like thugs then what options are citizens left with? There is an emerging trend nowadays whereby when police are carrying out their responsibilities, they behave like criminals. We saw last week when they came here to arrest a Member of Parliament. First of all, they show up in a vehicle that has no number plate, or has foreign number plates of other countries like South Sudan. The way they are dressed is also questionable. Now contrast that with what happened to the personal assistant of one of the Senators in this House. This happened in Eldoret, in broad day light at 1.00 p.m. Strange characters showed up in front of a shop; picked a gentleman; there was a scuffle and people got concerned. These people said they are police officers, but because Kenyans are used to police officers behaving that way they allowed them to take this particular victim, only for the gentleman to be found strangled and murdered two days later. At what point will Kenyans be able to distinguish the genuine police officers from murderers like these ones if we allow that kind of behaviour to go on? I look forward to the Inspector General of Police coming before a Committee of this House and explaining, for example, if the police feel that there is a crime I have committed, why they cannot just send me a message that says “show up at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations offices”. I will be able to drive myself there and answer to whatever issues, or matter they feel I have fallen afoul to. If there is any reason they must come for me, how difficult is it and how does it impede their work if they come dressed in police uniform and prominently displaying their identification badges, so that we eliminate this kind of habit? Therefore, it is something that we need to seriously consider."
}