{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=147892","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=147890","results":[{"id":1497102,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497102/?format=json","text_counter":97,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Githunguri, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba","speaker":null,"content":" Hon. Speaker, I am waiting for the Clerk to bring it for my signature."},{"id":1497103,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497103/?format=json","text_counter":98,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR STATEMENTS"},{"id":1497104,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497104/?format=json","text_counter":99,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"We will go back to the responses to requests for statements. Dr Mutunga, you said you had a response that you just wanted to lay on the Table. Go ahead and do so."},{"id":1497105,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497105/?format=json","text_counter":100,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"STRATEGIC FOOD RESERVES IN THE COUNTRY"},{"id":1497106,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497106/?format=json","text_counter":101,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. (Dr) John K. Mutunga","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Tigania West, UDA); Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following response to a request for a statement on the Table regarding the country’s strategic food reserves, as requested by Hon. David Kiplagat, Member for Soy. I cannot see Hon. David Kiplagat, but I believe that he will get the response. Thank you."},{"id":1497107,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497107/?format=json","text_counter":102,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"The next response is to Hon. Wilberforce Oundo. Let us have the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs."},{"id":1497108,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497108/?format=json","text_counter":103,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"WELFARE OF PRISON OFFICERS"},{"id":1497109,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497109/?format=json","text_counter":104,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Before I start, I would like to confirm that I have given a copy of the response to Hon. Wilberforce Oundo. Therefore, kindly, allow me to read an abbreviated version of the response because he has the full particulars of the response. Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), the request for a statement was made by Hon. Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo, Member of Parliament for Funyula. The response has dealt with the various issues raised as follows: The first issue was the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the Maraga Taskforce Report, specifically in relation to the promotion of prison officers, some of whom have stagnated in the same job group or grade for over 10 years. The constitution of the Prisons Council is provided for under Section 21(c) of the Prisons Act. The response is that promotion in the Kenya Prisons Service is a process that is guided by the Public Service Commission (PSC) with respect to the scheme of service for prison officers and uniformed personnel, which was revised in October 2014. As a result of this, the Kenya Prisons Service has been filling vacant positions through interviews. As a result of that filling, the correct position currently is that we have two Deputy Commissioners-General of Prisons, eight Senior Assistant Commissioners-General of Prisons, 10 Assistant Commissioners-General of Prisons, 114 Commissioners of Prisons, 311 Senior Superintendents of Prisons and 168 Superintendents of Prisons. There are no Assistant Superintendents of Prisons, while there are 122 Chief Inspectors of Prisons, 862 Inspectors of Prisons, 399 Senior Sergeants of Prisons, 1,487 Sergeants, and 2,754 Corporals."},{"id":1497110,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497110/?format=json","text_counter":105,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":"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":1497111,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1497111/?format=json","text_counter":106,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":"The issue of the appointment of the Commissioner-General of the Kenya Prisons Service is now settled because of the appointment of Mr Patrick M. Aranduh by His Excellency the President on 12th July 2024. With regard to the review of the establishment, as part of the broader and sustainable approach in addressing stagnation, the Service conducted a comprehensive review of the authorised staff establishment of 37,868 uniformed officers, as a result of which those promotions were made. With regard to career guidelines for uniformed prisons officers, we can confirm that the Service is in the process of developing career guidelines that will establish clear entry and exit pathways for officers who are enlisted as general duty personnel, as well as those enlisted as professionals, technicians and artisans. The second question was whether there were any plans to provide decent housing for prison officers under the Affordable Housing Programme and, if so, the status of those arrangements. We can confirm that the Kenya Prisons Service has consulted the State Department for Housing and Urban Development for consideration in the provision of houses under the Affordable Housing Programme. As a result of that consultation, a programme is being developed for a minimum of 5,000 units within three years under the Affordable Housing Programme, as a result of which the Kenya Prisons Service will be proposing a continuation of the National Police Service Housing Scheme to complement the above programmes. The third question was on the status of harmonisation of terms of service, including salaries, for all officers under the various services, specifically the National Police Service and the Kenya Prisons Service, to ensure parity and fairness in remuneration and working conditions. This was recommended by the Maraga Taskforce. We can confirm that the prisons officers’ salaries are paid based on the salary structure that was approved by the PSC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). However, we can also confirm that having received the recommendation by the Maraga Taskforce for the harmonisation, specifically for grades that have similar entry qualifications in the two services, the Kenya Prisons Service has established a taskforce to harmonise the salaries. That is in progress, especially after the last review was effected. I would like to inform the House that currently, members of the National Police Service only earn an extra Ksh2,000 compared to the members of the Kenya Prisons Service. The technical team, which consists of the Cabinet Secretaries for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, and for the Interior and National Administration, and representatives from the National Police Service, the Administration Police, and the Kenya Prisons Service, is jointly working on that to ensure that the salaries are harmonised and that there is no difference between the lower and higher cadres in the various services in the country. That is the response."}]}