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{
    "id": 1014913,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1014913/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 431,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": "Sen. M. Kajwang’ has also reminded us that we have been appropriating, if that is the right word, funds to go to this project. When it comes to making accusations, we also stand accused. The Executive also stands accused. If I look at this project, it is more than Kshs38 billion. We should have been told that there was some Cabinet approval of a project of this magnitude. When the Senate is looking for additional Kshs5 billion to go to the counties, we cannot get it. However, suddenly for this project, the billions were ready even without the Governor’s asking for it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are constitutional questions that are raised in this Report which we should not really put under the bus. As far as devolution is concerned, are we electing governors who know their constitutional duty? If a governor is elected and sovereign authority is placed on him at the county level, that power is not really shared. The delegation of that power at the county level is not shared, but a governor alleged he was blackmailed by a chief. Such a governor should not have been in office, a governor who can be blackmailed by a chief yet when we call them for oversight here, they do not come. However, when they are threatened by chiefs, they are telling us they are ready to spend Kshs2 or Kshs3 billion on account of the demands of the executive. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are some areas where there is no clarity, for example, the role of the National Treasury on Public Private Partnership (PPP). Normally, the National Treasury has a very important role to play. Somehow, the National Treasury was removed, I do not know by design or otherwise, from this process. If it was a PPP, the National Treasury should have been at the centre of this project. It was changed to services to be rendered through public procurement process. There are many questions to be answered. I am not sure that just talking about the people who have been indicted and there are names here that I can see. I am not sure that by addressing those few names we are actually resolving the problem. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am more concerned about these monopolies from overseas. There was General Electric and Philips. In fact, before we can begin to indict our people-- -. There are companies from China. If you indict them here, they get protection from their countries. No company is above the law. No single international company is above the law. They have representatives here. I remember the case in South Africa involving the former President Zuma. His co- accused was an international company. They are appearing in a criminal case in South Africa. If criminals who are identified - whoever they are - and they are supposed to operate under the law and they are not brought before Parliament. The Committee has not shown us the efforts they made or even to require of them to appear in the same way they made it possible through virtual hearing to adduce evidence from Amb. Mailu. We should have seen something of a similar nature in regard to some of these international companies. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a fear that I have. When you see a project like this, it is what in America they call a “sweetheart deal”. By the time it comes to fruition, they had already known what was going to come. They know even what to do with the Senate, the National Assembly and the Executive. When the project is to go for feasibility study, they say that is not even necessary. To that extent, I am begging that in future and I know we need trading partners and donors. However, they must operate within our territory under the law. If they are the ones The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}