Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1147888,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1147888/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 201,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo Mabona",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for emphasising that. I did not want to speak to it because I heard Hon. Otiende alluding to it. If we really want to oppose this list, let us have cogent reasons - but not that someone has not been interviewed virtually. The other matter that I take issue with is a number of Members have been complaining about tax compliance. I have said this on the Floor of the House before, and I will say it again. Even I, at one point, had a tax issue with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). One day, I was sitting here, and they sent me a letter saying that I owe them Kshs3 million, and I wondered what it was for. When I went there, I discovered that there was a woman who was trading in maize as Millicent Odhiambo and yet, my official name is Millie Odhiambo. I was even taken to court for trading in maize and not paying Kshs3 million in taxes on maize. I am sure you know that when I am here, I hardly have time to trade in maize. I am innocent. Every lawyer here will tell you that before it is sorted out, it will be an ongoing matter that will hold me back on any issue. It does not make me guilty; neither does it make me complicit. I will give you live examples that have happened in this House. One time, Hon. Catherine Muma appeared before us, as the Select Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee. We had a bit more powers then to make appointments during the transitional period. I remember that Hon. Martha Karua, whose appointment as our Deputy Presidential candidate has made me very happy, raised an issue about Hon. Catherine after she appeared before us, as a Committee. The issue was a civil matter of non-payment of some money, but Hon. Catherine had already appeared before us, as a Committee. The Committee had to call Hon. Catherine back and question her again on that issue. She was cleared and got the job. This is a civil matter, not a criminal one. The Committee is disputing tax matters. Once the Tribunal is done, you may clear him. You cannot hold somebody accountable for an ongoing civil matter. Even if it was of a criminal nature, one is not guilty until he or she is convicted. Everybody is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This is a civil matter and so, you cannot hold somebody to account because he or she has a dispute with KRA on tax. People who stay abroad will always have issues of double taxation. It will not come up only in this case, but also in others. This is a fairly young House where majority of you actually look like you are in your forties and fifties. Your children will not stay here in Kenya. Let us quit this issue that we seem to have with people who are out of the country. They are our children, brothers and sisters. I saw it when we were coming up with the Constitution, where people were opposing those who have dual citizenship. People cannot get jobs in Kenya. I am sure that all of you can see it, even as you go to campaign. Kenyans are desperate and hungry because there are no jobs. If they can get jobs outside the country, why begrudge them when they could not get them The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}