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{
    "id": 1051929,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1051929/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 166,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "the leased medical equipment, who deduct it at source and never give counties the chance to pay them. The Chinese were not as smart. Perhaps, if they had opportunity, they would have granted us the loan. I guess at that time things will be so difficult. We may have a stand-in because of those agreements. Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., if you are serious about the questions you are raising, then bring a question and we will support you together. Bring a question on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Do not make all those things you are claiming to become just good sound bites. Bring them and let us do the work. Let us question those things because it will be important for posterity. Twenty to 30 years down the line, it will not be known which side of the House you were sitting when all this mess was happening. Our children and grandchildren will just be saying: ―My dad was in leadership those days when these things were happening.‖ At that time, perhaps, we will be called a mandarin Republic of Kenya or something like that because they will have taken over. As leaders, this is my plea to all of us. Let us take time. We had this discussion as Members of the Committee on Finance and Budget; that we seriously need to have a candid conversation about the state of our economy. If we do not talk about it, very soon, these people that we think love and cheer us--- When it is no longer sustainable and people can no longer earn or purchase basic commodities--- We need to watch videos of what happened to the Parliament of Venezuela when people became too angry. They tore all their leaders. At that point, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., it will not matter which side of the House we will be seated. They will just know we are leaders. That is the unfortunate thing about Kenya. When you raise anything, they will say: ―But you are the leaders.‖ It is time we took over leadership and reviewed some of these proposals and questions. Those questions are part of my commitment. I say this as part of the Committee on Finance and Budget that it shall be bringing a question to this House, so that the CS can for the first time furnish this House with the debt register because they have refused to do so. Even that which came to this House, during the time we were debating how to increase the debt ceiling, was not as accurate as possible. Let us first know how much we owe people as a country and how many we can negotiate with. We left these duties to be done by the National Treasury for the last eight or nine years, and we have seen the challenge. As the oversight arm of Government, can we conduct our duties with such dedication that people will look back and say, ―at least, the Senate of the Republic of Kenya at that time was trying to save the situation?‖ This is so that people begin to think and give proper justification before they borrow. I hope to present that question perhaps next week, so that we can handle it as a House and make recommendations. Perhaps, it has reached a point where instead of just thinking about a ceiling – I hear that is the proposal - let them come loan by loan, so that we give the approval where it--- It has now reached that point where even if you may want to deny them the chance to borrow, they will ask you: ―What do we do?‖ Last term I heard, and proudly so, the President graciously announcing to the country that we did not borrow to pay our teachers and other civil servants. 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."
}