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{
    "id": 1355340,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1355340/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 114,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emuhaya, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this chance. The Conflict of Interest Bill is trying to take us to level zero, which is good. I was recently talking to a young man who had just left college and I told him to try engaging in business. He said that there was no need to engage in business with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Commerce, a master’s degree and a doctorate degree. He said that the best business to engage in, in Kenya, is politics, which is the highest earner. He also added that the best business to engage in, in Kenya, is being in Government because you can get everything that you want. The issue of conflict of interest, which the Mover and the Leader of the Majority Party, spoke about has a long history that began in the time of Sir Evelyn Baring, who was one of the first governors in the pre-colonial government, to Sir Malcolm MacDonald, who handed over Independence. The issue also picked up during President Jomo Kenyatta’s regime. That is why people often speak about developmental disparities in this country. How often do you hear people from the North Eastern part of this country like Turkana, say that they are less developed? The policies of the time favoured people who were in Government, like the late Tom Mboya, who came up with Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965, and who recommended that resources be put in places where there was capacity and potential. Those are all examples of conflict of interest because those people were in power then could make decisions that favoured them and nobody else. That is why we are now grappling with how to equalise people. We have the Equalisation Fund to try and equalise Kenyans. The next regime was that of President Daniel Moi, which experienced the worst cases of conflict of interest. If you were in the Government, you would have resources and you could plan how to get more. That is why the Moi regime had its own side effects. You saw the political atmosphere towards the end of his regime where, by the time he was leaving Uhuru Park during the inauguration of President Mwai Kibaki, Kenyans were singing “ Yoteyawezekana bila Moi. ” That was not just because President Moi was a bad political leader, but also because cases of conflict of interest during his time in power made him appear bad to all but a few Kenyans. The best leaders were during President Kibaki’s regime, and they should be commended. Cases of conflict of interest are polarising the politics of this country. Those who are currently in power feel that it is their time to eat because they have access to Government resources. The biggest entity that one can engage in business with in this country is the Government. If you are in Government, you have access to monies and, therefore, you can become rich. That is probably why the young economist who has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Commerce thinks that there is no better business to engage in than politics. He is right to an extent. How many young people in Kenya excel in business and become respected business people? How many young Kenyans excel in innovation, become respected innovators, and grow rich? The Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee echoed similar sentiments, which I thought were very correct. The Bill addresses the fact that for one to amass 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."
}