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"id": 1522442,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522442/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Saku, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ali Raso",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This amendment is progressive or forward-looking. More importantly, it addresses three cardinal areas. Firstly, it is about accountability across the police force. Secondly, it addresses the role of leadership of those who command police officers. As leaders in this country, what is our responsibility in the process of having a good police service? The second aspect of this Bill addresses the welfare and well-being of our men and women in uniform. In odd hours, rain, dusty areas and dangerous locations, we call upon these men and women to provide public safety and security. They are poorly armed sometimes. They are ill-equipped, and the terrain does not favour them. Because it is their duty, many people think that police service is about employment, but it is a calling. In many developed countries across the world, police officers are the most well remunerated civil servants. When you try to describe the task or work of a police officer, then you begin to feel that these men or women do more than what the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) thinks. Recently, during demonstrations, riots, protests, attacks and even incidences of rustling, the police force was the most blamed. Blatantly, people came out to say they know what happened to demonstrators. What about the police officers who were keeping peace in a particular area on that day? There are those who lost their lives, arms and legs, and loved ones. As a former military officer and a distinguished one for that matter, in a day, when those men and women in the police force are on a beat, in whatever part of the country, they go through so much. They recover dead bodies that have been thrown into pit latrines and sewages. They are the ones who go to the morgue to identify bodies. As a result of that, they go through serious post-traumatic stress disorder. We appreciate it with minimalism because we think it is normal and their job. However, these are fathers, husbands, brothers and sisters. At the end of the day, they are human beings who appreciate soothing words when somebody says: Thank you, well done and it is okay. When this Bill came before our Committee, we thought through it and invited the stakeholders. We were amazed by the input and appreciation we got. We did not only look at the men and women in blue, but also the civilians. They gave us very serious input on how we will move forward and professionalise our police force in terms of training commanders and constables, so that they can do their job and simultaneously be accountable to those they are supposed to protect and defend. Police officers give the ultimate sacrifice by putting their lives on the line. On social media, there is an incident in north eastern where a police vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), and some officers were injured. People on social media might think that they were careless or they did not have vehicles, but on the other side, a family has lost a loved one, and soldiers and commanders have lost their comrades in arms. That is why the issue of psychosocial support, which has been overlooked for too long, must be addressed, starting from a police station and moving to the highest command level. If we do not do that, we will lose very good men and women who would have made substantial contributions to the well-being of our country. During our interaction, we realised that some issues must be addressed to ensure that our police are effective, professional and efficient when performing their duties. These issues include uniforms, medical support, insurance, pension, housing, rations, and protective equipment. Finally, some words have been used to describe the men and women in blue as determined, strong, ambitious, brave, heroes, selfless, courageous, friends, daring and responsive. These adjectives describe how policemen or policewomen carry out their duties by putting their lives on the line."
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"id": 1522443,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522443/?format=api",
"text_counter": 219,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13328,
"legal_name": "Jeremiah Omboko Milemba",
"slug": "jeremiah-omboko-milemba"
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"content": " Hon. Caroli Omondi. Hon. Peter Kihungi. Then let us have Hon. Fatuma Masito. Is she in the House? Proceed."
},
{
"id": 1522444,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522444/?format=api",
"text_counter": 220,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kwale County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Fatuma Masito",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Asante sana, Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipatia fursa hii ili niweze kuchangia Mswada huu ambao umeletwa mbele ya Bunge hili na The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
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"id": 1522445,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522445/?format=api",
"text_counter": 221,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kwale County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Fatuma Masito",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mhe. Masara. Mswada huu unalenga kuboresha ustawi na hadhi ya askari wetu. Polisi wetu wanaishi maisha ambayo unaeza dhani wao si binadamu au watu ambao wanatangamana na binadamu. Askari wetu hapa Kenya wana dhiki, hii ndio lugha ambayo naweza tumia ili niweze kueleweka vizuri. Wana dhiki, shida na maisha magumu wakati ambapo wanatuhudumia na pia baada ya kustaafu. Mswada huu unalenga kudumisha ustawi wao na hadhi yao. Utaweza pia kuwatengea kitengo maalumu cha kuweza kuwashughulikia askari hawa ambao mara nyingi wanapatikana na shida ya msongamano wa mawazo na madhara ya akili. Wanafanya kazi ngumu sana. Unaweza hata kupata askari amefanya kazi hata masaa 24, akikimbia juu na chini. Mara nyingine unapata ameitwa mahali ajali imetokea ambapo hata wewe binadamu wa kawaida huwezi kuangalia yale mazingira ambayo ajali ile imetokea kwa sababu pengine labda mtu ameumia sana ama amekufa kifo kibaya sana. Na sijaona askari akisonga mbali na hali kama hiyo. Wengine unapata wanaenda kuokoa mahali kuna mkasa wa moto na anapambana na mambo mengi. Mazingira ambayo askari wetu wa Kenya wanaishi ni ya aibu. Ni ya aibu hata ukiyasema kwa mataifa mengine na pia kwa Wakenya. Wanaishi maisha ya kinyama. Unapata askari amepatwa na msongomano wa mawazo kwa sababu hata anashindwa kutunza familia yake kwa sababu mshahara ni duni, hawezi kupata matibabu mazuri na pia hawezi kupatia watoto wake elimu nzuri. Maisha ikiwa hivi, askari watajihusisha na mambo mengi. Wengi wanaingilia ulevi na kuwa mlevi mkubwa kwa sababu anawaza ameshinda kazi kuanzia asubuhi mpaka jioni lakini mwisho wa mwezi mshahara wake hauwezi kumtosha hata wiki moja. Anakopa na kujipata mwisho wa mwezi analipa madeni tu na anaanza tena kwa kijiti; yaani anaanza moja tena. Anakopa mpaka ifike tarehe thelathini, akipata mshahara, analipa madeni yale na kuendelea kuishi. Je, haya ni maisha ya aina gani ukilinganisha na kazi ambayo askari wetu wanayoifanya ndani ya taifa letu? Naunga mkono Mswada huu ili iweze kudhibiti. Askari ni baba zetu, dada zetu, na marafiki wetu na tunaishi nao vizuri. Pia wanatufanyia kazi nzuri zaidi. Ninaunga mkono Mswada huu. Natumaini itapitishwa na Bunge hili iweze kusaidia ndugu zetu. Mhe. Spika wa Muda, asante sana kwa kunipa fursa hii."
},
{
"id": 1522446,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522446/?format=api",
"text_counter": 222,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13328,
"legal_name": "Jeremiah Omboko Milemba",
"slug": "jeremiah-omboko-milemba"
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"content": " Hon. Edith Nyenze."
},
{
"id": 1522447,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522447/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Omboko Milemba) left the Chair]"
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{
"id": 1522448,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522448/?format=api",
"text_counter": 224,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) took the Chair]"
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"id": 1522449,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522449/?format=api",
"text_counter": 225,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui West, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Edith Nyenze",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to share my views on the National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No.23 of 2024). Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate our colleague, Hon. Masara, for this good Bill. It aims to strengthen what we already have, especially regarding the mandate of the National Police Service Commission to address the mental health and wellbeing of police officers. This Bill seeks to establish psychosocial units and programs that aim to promote the mental health and wellbeing of police officers. The Bill is trying to insert a clause in 12(a), which requires the Police Commission to provide police officers with mental health services. It also requires the Commission to establish well-equipped centers in offices, camps, training colleges, and communities for police officers to receive psychosocial services. Apart from that, our police officers do a lot of work. They are exposed to harsh environments that they have not been trained in. They are also badly exposed in the social media era. Apart from creating those centres, we also need to improve their emoluments. Their salaries are very low. They stay in dilapidated houses. Even though we have talked about those The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1522450,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522450/?format=api",
"text_counter": 226,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui West, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Edith Nyenze",
"speaker": null,
"content": "issues for a long time, nothing much has been done to improve their housing and increase their salaries."
},
{
"id": 1522451,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522451/?format=api",
"text_counter": 227,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui West, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Edith Nyenze",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Psychosocial support is important because exposure to such environments results in mental torture. Some police officers go to harsh areas and stay there for months without taking leave, and when they do so, they are not given enough money to take to their families. They end up being overworked and underappreciated by the people they serve. They correct us, and we do not appreciate it. They work in harsh environments, yet they have nothing to show for it when they return home to their families. Some police officers are posted to hardship areas and stay there for a very long time without transfers. Even if they keep applying for transfers, they are not considered. With time, they become tortured leading to mental illness. Therefore, those centres are important so that they can share their feelings with their supervisors or discuss with their colleagues. They can also air their views, so that they are helped whenever they feel exposed."
}
]
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