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{
    "id": 1043614,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1043614/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mwea, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Josphat Kabinga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13441,
        "legal_name": "Josphat Kabinga Wachira",
        "slug": "josphat-kabinga-wachira-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At the outset, it is good for Kenyans out there to know that we did not come for this Special Sitting to increase taxes but rather, to revert to what was passed by this House in March this year. I want to commend the Government. Coronavirus was first reported in the country in February and by March, the Government had moved very fast to look at measures that would reduce the pressure and impact that came with the pandemic. That was really good. The relief did not come to address it as such, but to mitigate the effects that Kenyans were expected to go through with the coming of COVID-19. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, paying of taxes is a personal responsibility and Kenyans must feel proud when they are doing so. All those who pay taxes faithfully and promptly have a reason to be proud because they are the people who hold this country together. As a Member of Parliament in my first term, I am learning a lot from this House. In 2017, when we had the Government bringing some amendments on taxes, I saw a group of people who were supporting and those who were opposing them. Today, because of their political alignments and shifts, I am seeing the same group throwing good words out there for the public to favour them. It is high time, as leaders, we rise above some of those petty politics. You are in Government today, you support everything; tomorrow something comes up and you want to clearly align yourself with the Opposition for the simple reason that you are not in the Government. This is not the way that Kenyans would have wished to see this House operate. We know very well that we stood out as the only country in this continent that promptly responded to COVID-19 by looking out for our citizens and relieving them of some of the taxes. What we can say now is that although COVID-19 is still with us, at least, we now know how to live with the new normal. We know how to cope and deal with it at different times. We also know that we now lack the resources to do much more to manage it. It is the same reason that we now want to collect more resources so that we can address this pandemic. We also know that there are some people who are enjoying the fruits of corruption in this country. Some of them are talking very nicely here but, if you ask them how they gained their wealth, they cannot account for it. But, today, they are talking nicely and telling us how we need to care for Wanjiku . We will say shame on them because when they stand here, they are not sincere. We will collect money. We expect to address the doctors’ problems, medicine deficiency in the country and all those can be done by people who are faithful to their country. I support that we need to look at national ethos in this country. We need people to rethink about themselves and not people coming here to talk sweet things on the microphone, throwing good words and seeking favours from their communities out there. It is high time people walked the talk. Tuache mambo ya corruption so that our country can move forward. Thank you and I support."
}