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{
    "id": 1082513,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1082513/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 654,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1835,
        "legal_name": "Anthony Kimani Ichung'Wah",
        "slug": "anthony-kimani-ichungwah"
    },
    "content": "I was saying that the basis is just that the National Assembly, being the people’s representative, needs to have an opportunity to interrogate these PPP agreements. If we were in other countries, these agreements would be good to pass as they are where public scrutiny of agreements is open. I have stated without any fear of contradiction that we are in a country where State capture by the Executive is not imagined. It is real. There is actual State capture. Many of the PPP agreements that come into effect are agreements that are designed not for the benefit of the country and taxpayers, but for the benefit of private enterprises and private business people in this country. The only way through which we can protect the public interest is by the National Assembly, being the House that is constitutionally charged with the responsibility of appropriating people’s resources in this country, having a role in the scrutiny of these agreements. This will enable us to ensure that we get public assets that are done efficiently, where value for money is protected by the people’s representatives. I have had time with the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party to discuss some of these amendments and even the further amendment to reduce the number of times. That is why we are seated next to each other. We are being told that this Bill in its entirety is to reduce bottlenecks. If Members of the National Assembly will today view themselves as a bottleneck yet they have a constitutional duty and responsibility to Kenyans to offer oversight over public assets, then we must really question ourselves as to what our role as the Members of Parliament (MPs) is. If we will be used as rubberstamps by the Leader of the Majority Party, we want recourse. I really want to beg that, even as Members contribute, we look at our role in terms of being legislators who have a constitutional responsibility to oversee and also be cognisant of the country that we are living in—a country where state capture by the Executive, where decisions in this country…"
}