HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"count": 1608389,
"next": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=150395",
"previous": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=150393",
"results": [
{
"id": 1522132,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522132/?format=api",
"text_counter": 138,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": " Madam Temporary Speaker, this issue should bother us. It must disturb any leader, that we continue to talk about it but there is very little that is being done. A few weeks ago, one of the seven top decision-making members of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) visited the country. As part of the delegation, there was a gentleman whose equivalent in Kenya would be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). I sat next to him at the state banquet that was held in honour of that visiting delegation. We had conversations about what he does and there are a few things he shared with me. He told me that in the Chinese society, they have three strategies that they use to fight corruption. They classify the corrupt in three categories. The first one are the tigers, I forgot the second one, and the last one are dragons or insects. Tigers are people like you and me; the high and mighty who serve in big public offices. That is where they dedicate their biggest energy and resources. The reason is that they are used to create an example to the ordinary citizen when they are arrested or found culpable. You have watched how they even prescribe death penalties on very high- ranking public officials, including ministers, the minute they are found to have participated in theft of public resources. He said that strategy has continued to work because it sets an example to other people. I believe the day we will jail a few senior public officials, the war against corruption will take the right trajectory. As long as it is known that once you have been caught and convicted and the lower courts perhaps hand you a verdict, you can move to a higher court and get a reprieve and be released. There must be a reasoned argument, especially where there is involvement in loss of public funds before a judge issues a reprieve against say, a magistrate’s court or a High Court releasing a suspect or a convicted person and allowing them to continue serving the public as they battle their appeal. If that was to happen, so long as it is not driven by witch-hunt or political machinations, we would have followed that particular strategy on how to deal with the tigers; the big boys and girls who are supposed to set an example. If you are a boss in the office who is not involved in corrupt practices, then those who serve under you will begin to follow the example. I believe the lower-level staff borrow the practices. He told me that the second category are middle level managers and civil servants working in various government and state agencies. They have a unit specifically dedicated for such people. These are the spanner boys in corrupt dealings. They do not care much even when administrations change because they know they will have their way anyway. It is important also to go after such. I hope the EACC will also focus and turn their attention over and above such people, so that we set a good example and people can know that if they participate in such activities, they will be jailed. That is why we are passing this Conflict of Interest Bill, so that people can declare conflict of interest by stating that they cannot serve members of the public dutifully. That should allow them to go to the private sector where they can do their jobs, make profit and live decent lives. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1522133,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522133/?format=api",
"text_counter": 139,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "Many people believe, and rightfully so, that unfortunately, the weakest link is our Judiciary. You listen to them many times asking what they should do if investigators do not take to them watertight cases. Give it to them because it is a sound argument. I also would not wish that we jail people who perhaps have just been tried because of their political choices and so on and so forth. You know for a fact and from history that this country has a culture of using the war against corruption to fight political wars. That cannot be taken away. That is part of the clean-up that we are doing here, including declaration of conflict of interest and trying to tighten the laws on that scope of people. For example, many governors you see being jailed is on account of doing business with their wives, daughters or brothers. It is my hope that with the passage of this particular amended version of the Bill, we will help to conclude that battle. I strongly believe that as a country, we run a very significant risk. The other day the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) released a report. I do not know if colleague Senators took time to listen to the CEO. He said that 45 per cent of our university students use drugs. Just imagine! That is almost 50 per cent, which is almost half of our university and college students. What kind of a country are we talking about here? That is terrible! That is still a subset of corruption because it tells you that there are facilitators or people who allow drugs and narcotics to get into the country. Until we slay this dragon of corruption, that number will continue to increase. It can be your brother, sister, son, or daughter. This should concern us. The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, who is my good friend, was among the people who were present when the NACADA was releasing the report. He knows the Bible. I told him that just like Esther, he has been put there at such a time as this. If there is a battle that he must fight with every ounce of energy in him, it is the fight against drugs and narcotics that is permeating into our society and getting into the hands of our young people who are still in high school and colleges and universities. I have no reason to doubt a report of a competent authority such as the NACADA. If it is true that 45 per cent of our students are consuming drugs, it means there is no future for this country. By the time they are graduating, they will have lost it. We must ask ourselves where they are coming from. Remember, Kenya is a land that is surrounded by a good number of failed states, where the governments do not have full control of their regions. There are some regions that have been mentioned. For example, the boarder with Ethiopia is a notorious route that has lots of drugs. Somalia to the north has lawlessness in certain parts that allows drugs to find their way into our country. Once they come, some people even provide protection for them in our colleges and universities, including those whose duty should have otherwise been to ensure that our young people learn in safe spaces."
},
{
"id": 1522134,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522134/?format=api",
"text_counter": 140,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "We must speak about these things. We should be concerned even as a House on so many other things that are a subset of corruption. I was just mentioning that specific The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1522135,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522135/?format=api",
"text_counter": 141,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "point on the battle against drug abuse to strengthen or buttress the point that I made earlier that all our societal struggles as a country, stem from corruption."
},
{
"id": 1522136,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522136/?format=api",
"text_counter": 142,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "As such, unless and until we can properly address ourselves to the challenge of corruption as a nation, we shall continue to engage in all these battles with very minimal success. I hope that today, once we conclude the passage of this Bill, dear colleagues, we shall send it to the President for his assent next week. EACC can begin their work with strength, zeal, courage and without any further excuse."
},
{
"id": 1522137,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522137/?format=api",
"text_counter": 143,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "I believe it is not for lack of good laws. However, we strongly feel that this law is a missing ingredient in their fight against corruption. This is one of the pillars and the areas where we can tighten the noose. Consequently, we will have reduced the proliferation of corruption in our public dealings."
},
{
"id": 1522138,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522138/?format=api",
"text_counter": 144,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "With those many remarks, I beg to support and urge my colleagues that we conclude on this matter so that we can move forward as a nation. We will be considered to have made our contribution to making Kenya a better society."
},
{
"id": 1522139,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522139/?format=api",
"text_counter": 145,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "I thank you."
},
{
"id": 1522140,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522140/?format=api",
"text_counter": 146,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, the Senate Majority Leader. I do not see any other Senator interested in contributing to this Motion. I know this Motion was moved by Sen. Sigei. He is not here."
},
{
"id": 1522141,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522141/?format=api",
"text_counter": 147,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Senate Majority Leader, would you wish to reply to the Motion so that we can conclude this business?"
}
]
}