Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1272341,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1272341/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung'wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We should have a bicameral representation as we institutionalise all these associations so that when we attend international conferences, we do not do so as the National Assembly, but as the Parliament of the Republic of Kenya because we are a bicameral Parliament. Whatever resolutions that come out of these associations, whether it is APNAC, GOPAC or the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF, we should have a bicameral approach to it. If there are legislative interventions to be done, it will be easier for Hon. Shakeel to propose all laws on matters to do with corruption and other issues if there is bicameral representation in all these organisations. As I commend Hon. Shakeel for his work, I want to encourage him to ensure that we institutionalise all these organisations and have a bicameral approach. If you read through the Report, you will see the various recommendations they have proposed, especially on facilitating APNAC to promote transparency, accountability and good governance amongst parliamentarians both at the national and county levels and with the community leaders. I cannot agree more with the members of these organisations that we must have a clear framework on how, as Parliament, we will promote transparency and accountability. It is in view of such desires that the National Assembly and the Senate, under this administration, reviewed their Standing Orders to allow Cabinet Secretaries to appear before these Houses – as will happen tomorrow, Wednesday afternoon – and be accountable to the people through their elected representatives. You will notice that a few of us actively participate in that process. I want to take this opportunity to encourage Members, as I did on Thursday during the Statement time on behalf of the House Business Committee, to enlist Questions that will enhance transparency on how Government does its work in the ministries and more importantly to hold the Cabinet Secretaries and those serving in the Executive accountable to all their actions, including the implementation of the budgets that we appropriate and pass here but we leave its implementation to the Executive. That being so, we cannot just be talking about corruption. I am happy that we now have an administration that does not only speak about corruption, but acts on any incidence of corruption. Kenyans will bear us witness that the President has been very resolute to speak less and act more on issues to do with corruption. That is how to deal with corruption. I remember when 200 members of the Cabinet and civil servants were asked to step aside on suspicion of corruption during the State of the Nation Address in 2017 or 2018. Of the 200 public officers who were asked to step aside, not a single officer was ever charged in court over corruption. That is because we had a regime that believed in speaking about corruption, but never acting on it. It is no coincidence that when you find people speaking too much about corruption, many times they are the most corrupt. Those who shout the loudest about fighting corruption are usually the most corrupt. Due to the activities of the last regime, Kenyans will bear witness to the fact that the highest form of corruption is State capture. I know Hon. Caroli Omondi has a Motion on the establishment of a State Capture Commission. I encourage him to aggressively pursue it so that we have that commission in place. That will be the beginning of dealing with corruption. We talk about corruption when we see police officers collecting bribes on the roads or county government officers walking around estates collecting bribes, but we forget that the fish starts rotting from the head. That is the problem in Kenya. The country started rotting from the head when we normalised State capture. It became the norm that one, two, or three people, and their families could capture the state and ensure that public procurement, implementation of Government projects, and formulation of Government policy are geared towards private business interests, and not the greater public good. That is where we must begin."
}