HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 100197,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/100197/?format=api",
"text_counter": 356,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
"speaker": {
"id": 129,
"legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
"slug": "james-orengo"
},
"content": "Just as a matter of repeating, probably, what I tried to point out yesterday to hon. Abdikadir, Dr. Lumumba is not an isolated case where somebody can change from one profession to another or from one calling to another. During Independence, or the first years when this country gained Independence, there were very few people with qualifications who could be recruited in jobs in the Public Service. Over the years, you had a person like Shanan Singh who was a very committed trade unionist who became a judge of the High Court of Kenya; one of the very good judges who served in the High Court during his later life. Of course, the case of Justice Madan, who was not only a Member of this House, but was a Cabinet Minister. The later part of his life, he became a judge, not only of the High Court, but of the Court of Appeal and then he became a Chief Justice. But the more important reason why I would want to support these three individuals--- I just want to take the case of Pravin Bowry. I have done several cases with Pravin Bowry. He is a man with a passion for the job that he likes. The kind of job that is required to be done under the Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption Act requires committed people. I believe he is eminently qualified. I know he will be committed and will do this job with the zeal and passion that it requires. Similarly, for Dr. Patrick Lumumba; he will do the job with passion and with commitment. In these public institutions, normally we get people who just want jobs for the sake of it. The reason why this Commission was created is because there was a lacuna that needed to be closed by having it in place. One of the failures on our part was to recruit men and women who will not do their job with the commitment that is required. Part of the mandate of the Commission is to let the people know why we must fight corruption and to conduct civic education. To let the country know the reason why impunity and corruption must be punished, we need somebody who can go out there in the public and say openly and loudly that this is a vice that must be fought and fought at all levels. He should speak clearly and with passion on this subject of corruption. We do not want people who get these jobs and the moment they get these jobs, they sit back in their offices without letting the country know what the job is all about. I know that many people do not really know the appropriate mandate for the Commission. There are a lot of things that this Commission can do, even in the area of trying to determine those who acquire property. Under the Act, if you have unexplained assets, they have mandate to require of you to explain how you have obtained those assets. There are many of us, and I want to say sometimes I may include even myself, who cannot account for everything that we have. We need some people checking on us, so that every single thing that we own as public officers, we can explain. That is the mandate that does not require the Commission to go to court because the richest in this country, and I want to say this without fear of contradiction, are people who have been in the Public Service or on account of being associated with the Public Service. They are richer than even the people in the corporate world because they use their offices for purposes of corruptly acquiring property. I can tell you that with these three individuals, whom I know can do this work with commitment and a sense of passion, we will begin to fight this thing called corruption. This Act came into place in 2003. As I speak, there is nothing that the Commission can really show to have done in the last six or seven years. I am happy that today, I met with the Chairman and the members of the Advisory Board because we have been looking for support in the land sector that it is demonstrated to the Ministry that if you have acquired land irregularly or corruptly, we should not take you to court, but get the land back. You can go to court and ask us why we have done that because if fighting impunity cannot be fought with kid grooves, we must fight it uprightly. We got the assurance from the Advisory Board that they are going to help us in this fight of trying to get public property back to the public. I would not fail now to say, in this House, that I have an invitation from hon. Khalwale next Thursday to go with him to get back a piece of property that he is so much concerned about, so that the people of Kenya will know that we say what we mean and mean what we say. With those brief remarks, I support."
}