HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1153030,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1153030/?format=api",
"text_counter": 80,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13219,
"legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
"slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
},
"content": "What stands out for me is that after that vote was taken, none of the Cabinet Secretaries lost their jobs. One of them is our Senate Minority Leader here, Sen. James Orengo. Others were drawn from all parts of the country. I remember people like hon. Katoo ole Metito, who was an Assistant Minister; hon. Manyala Keya from western Kenya and Hon. (Dr.) Kilemi Mwiria from Mt. Kenya. That was Mwai Kibaki for you; he gave institutions space and the freedom to operate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we should do some self-examination as Members of Parliament to ensure that we allow Parliament to thrive, operate with freedom, have lively debate and vote where necessary to defend the Constitution, the rule of law and defend at times our own conscience. For me, that is the legacy that President Mwai Kibaki leaves behind. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in terms of accountability, I was privileged to serve as the Chairperson of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission at that time. In those days, you could never fear carrying out investigations against a Cabinet Minister because you would be reprimanded by the President. I will give you a case of our colleague, Sen. Wetangula here, who faced some corruption allegations while he was in office, regarding the purchase of some buildings in Japan. Gladly for me, he was cleared. I am not saying that he is corrupt because he was cleared of those allegations. However, what President Mwai Kibaki did is that, when that issue came into public domain and he received word that his Cabinet Minister was under investigation, he asked him to step aside. That is how much President Mwai Kibaki pushed the accountability card. He asked his Cabinet Ministers to step aside, be investigated and once recommendations were made for them to either be taken to court, then they would go to court and defend themselves. You heard Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. tell us yesterday that the then head of the Central Bank of Kenya, Mr. Mulei, had criminal charges preferred against him. He went to complain before President Kibaki, who told him to go and defend himself in court. Mr. Speaker, Sir, how sad it is that nowadays, like the allegation that I saw against a Cabinet Secretary involving Kimwarer and Arror dams, it is actually a very senior member of the Executive, occupying the number two position, who came out to defend that particular Cabinet Secretary. That is not the legacy that the late Mwai Kibaki left for us. He left for us a legacy of ensuring that we push forward the accountability card. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I draw towards conclusion, I want to say something about the clean-up that we witnessed on the institution of the Judiciary, when President Mwai Kibaki assumed the mantle of leadership in 2003. I doubt that any President who would have had the courage to do the kind of surgery that we saw on the Judiciary, like the one that took place during the reign of President Mwai Kibaki. It reminded people in the Civil Service that you must always watch your back. What you do today may come out to haunt you tomorrow."
}