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{
    "id": 1283844,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1283844/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "The third one, and all these are on Page 8, is an allegation of corruption. On diverse dates, she said that there were cases of corruption in Parliament. She posted various messages on social media that there were allegations of corruption. You know for a fact that none of us here would survive an allegation of corruption if we are going to continue to be public servants in this Republic. I had a conversation in this Chamber with Sen. Orwoba. I told her that the beauty of our system is that there exists a mechanism through which you can demonstrate, using evidence and facts, that these things are happening to you. That was the invitation that came from the Committee on Powers and Privileges. What is most disheartening is that when you read this Report, Sen. Orwoba, on two separate occasions, was invited to appear before the Committee on Powers and Privileges. If you look at page 7 of that Report, paragraph 12(a), the first thing is that the Committee confirms here that Sen. Orwoba was given an opportunity to appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee, ostensibly, to table evidence to back her claims of sexual favours, corruption and favouritism in this particular House. You can see that in paragraph 13, some of those allegations that she had made were the subject of investigations by none other than the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). In paragraph 13(a), the Report says that the evidence submitted was not enough to sustain a criminal charge in court. That is to tell you that the DCI had concluded the investigations and that they found the evidence that was provided not substantive enough to sustain any charges against anybody. In paragraph 14, the Committee says that no evidence was tendered by Sen. Orwoba to rebut the charges, and hence the allegations that she made remained unsubstantiated. On the day of the hearing itself, the Report says in paragraph 11 on page 6, that it had granted her an opportunity to be heard. She refused to take that opportunity to be heard, refusing to continue with the proceedings, and the Committee elected to proceed and hear this matter. So, all I am saying is that, when this matter was first brought before the House, I was inclined to some of the thinking that I have heard some of our colleagues say that the punishment that has been proposed by the Committee was too harsh. However, if you have gone through certain things in this House; you have publicly said this is what you are going through and that it is impeding your work as a Senator in this House, and then you are granted an opportunity to table evidence against these things. I do not believe that it is impossible for you to demonstrate bias. You can demonstrate if any Member here has treated you unfairly. There will be tracks. However, for you to make allegations and accusations against people who cannot defend themselves in public, it is very unfair for you to be granted an opportunity to substantiate and refuse to do so. One of the most unfair things in these particular proceedings is that the person who was a subject of these allegations that remain unproven and unsubstantiated is a"
}