A member of Parliament has asked the government to withdraw police officers assigned to legislators as bodyguards.
“Only The Head of State and Deputy President should have bodyguards," Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood said on Wednesday.
"Senators, governors, Women Representatives and MPs should hire private security guards if they feel they are not secure," Dawood said.
“Even Cabinet secretaries should not be given bodyguards and chase cars because that is waste of resources of the state,” he said.
He said politicians do not have state-provided guards during campaigns, yet the demand security details after being elected.
“We should emulate European countries. The other day I saw the speaker of the House of Commons in the UK walking without any bodyguards. We can emulate that as a country,” Dawood said.
He was giving out sports kits for teams at the CDF offices in Meru town.
His statement comes two days after Isiolo Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa said she feared for her life after her security detail was withdrawn allegedly for her association with Deputy President William Ruto.
“The time of intimidation is long gone. As the leaders and people of Isiolo, we supported Jubilee and we have the right and freedom of expression,” Jaldesa said on Monday.
Several other legislators in DP Ruto’s Tanga Tanga team are also apprehensive. Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa does not believe police spokesman assertion that the changes affected Kenya Police and not Administration Police officers.
“My bodyguard is and Administration Police but he was withdrawn, so this is a scheme. But if losing my security will improve the safety of other Kenyans then I am ready for it,” Ichungwa told Jeff Koinange on Citizen TV.
Dawood also said the President, DP and legislators should take pay cuts to reduce the wage bill. “Leaders should work for the people and they should not seek elective positions to enrich themselves.”
The legislator said the anticipated plebiscite should be about reducing the bloated wage bill and not about sharing power.
He said that Meru county should be split into Nyambene and Imenti.
“Isiolo has two constituencies in one county; Tharaka Nithi has three constituencies and it’s a county. Lamu and Tana River have two constituencies each so Meru, which has six constituencies, should have two counties to enjoy equitable distribution of resources,” Dawood said.
He also proposed the splitting of North Imenti into Nyaki and Ntima constituencies.
