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{
    "id": 1355294,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1355294/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 68,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "As I have mentioned, there is need for an institutional framework on how we manage conflict of interest. Just as I have said, conflict of interest is one of the key drivers of corruption and abuse of office. It is also a key driver of state capture, which we know has driven corruption to higher levels in this country and in other countries around the world. Other progressive democracies have ensured that there is absolutely no conflict of interest between individual interests while serving as a public officer. We are trying to bring our legal and institutional framework to the level where other developed democracies in the world have got their statutes to. We need to be in a situation where it is clear to any public officer what their private and public interests are. This will ensure that we do not have situations where private interests supersede public interests, especially in the discharge of duties by individuals who are serving in public offices. In this country, we have spoken about these things since we attained our Independence close to 60 years ago. Actually, in about four weeks’ time, on 12th December 2023, we shall be celebrating 60 years as a Republic. However, since the establishment of the first independence government under Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta, and even before then under the colonial government, the talk about corruption is something that has pervaded our public discourse. Unfortunately, it has ended up just being that – simply, a talk. We talk about corruption and the ones who speak the loudest about corruption end up being the most corrupt. It is a fact. Just look at the successive governments, from Jomo Kenyatta regime to Daniel arap Moi’s regime of 24 years. Years later, those who were involved in the second liberation of this country accused the Nyayo regime of being the most corrupt in Africa, but what did they do when they attained the instruments of power? You will recall that they said it was their time to eat. The same people who were telling others that they were eating were saying that it was their time to eat. The question that has remained unanswered is: What are you eating, and whose money are you eating? When you are charged with the responsibility of being a public officer, you are supposed to eat what is given to you as your salary. You should not use your public office to advance selfish personal business interests. Hon. Temporary Speaker, look at the structure of our economy today and anybody who is worth being called somebody in the business world. Less than 2 per cent of our business community members in this country today can stand up and say that they invented certain products or they run certain industries, and that is why they are prominent and successful businesspeople. Success in business in this country has been equated to access to power. Those who have had access to political power are coincidentally the most successful people in business in this country. It is not a coincidence. If we mean business in the fight against corruption but lack proper institutional and legal framework to deal with conflict of interest, the situation as it were during the colonial government, Kenyatta’s and Moi’s regimes and all successive governments will continue to be. I am saying this cognisant of the fact that we have a new administration. We are fortunate to have an administration where the President is leading from the front in addressing this issue, and not in just talking like others before him have done. He is ensuring that we have proper legal and institutional frameworks to deal with the fight against corruption. About a month ago, when this Bill was before the Committee, I had one of the rare privileges of receiving a call from him. He told me that he knew many of us were conflicted, but the Conflict of Interest Bill is for the greater interest of the public and the country. He told me to ask the Committee to expedite its consideration so that Parliament could have the opportunity to debate the issues. He heard that Parliamentarians spoke about state capture all over the country. I am guilty of speaking about it always."
}