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"id": 1402683,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
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"content": "The governors normally produce pictures that show that the classroom is available for occupation. If you are building somewhere in Kaplelartet, you must produce evidence of the same. Therefore, I want to say this in conclusion. The fact that most Members do not have offices or they have offices that they are sharing is okay. We do not have a problem with it. However, the point we are trying to make is to follow the law. We are the lawmakers. Why is it that if today a Cabinet Secretary comes here and they are building an institute, we cross-examine or question them by asking them to issue the certificate of occupation from public works and they do not have a problem with it? Why is it that when it comes to us, as Parliament, we do not want to produce the certificate of occupation and we want to bend the law? I was asking about the certificate of occupation, certificate of completion, pending works and public health. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, how safe are the offices? As I said yesterday, some offices do not have windows. If you do not see the sunlight for some time coming through those windows, you can get jaundice that is if I am right in Biology. Yesterday, Members got stuck in the lift for the better time of their hours. One has to wait for the lift for more than 15 minutes. Therefore, what is ultra-modern about it? My brother, the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Cheruiyot, told me to use the gym. However, I went there, but there are no exits. It is not in use at the moment. Let us be honest with ourselves, as Parliament. When this idea was conceived, it was Kshs5.6 billion. However, it has now gone beyond Kshs9 billion. When we ask our governors, for instance, the Nandi Governor here, we gave you Kshs7.5 billion, what did you do with it? The governors are ready to account, but when we ask on the issue of Bunge Tower, they do not want to account. Let me give you a comparison, so that Members can understand. The Central Bank of Kenya Towers is a 27-storey building and it is here in the Central Business District (CBD). It was built with Kshs2.5 billion. The cost of Bunge Tower has been inflated from Kshs5.2 billion to over Kshs9 billion. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Kshs4 billion to Kshs5 billion cannot be accounted for. Those are three or two mega buildings of Kshs2.5 billion each, that can be built within the CBD of the Republic of Kenya. As we say, we want to sort out the issue of renting offices for Members, we must also show due diligence and account for the money that we give out. If this will force some of us to appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee, so be it. We need members of staff in Parliament not to live under fear. Article 34 and 35 talks about media freedom and freedom to information. Why would you interdict two officers who allowed media to do a tour of a public office, unless you are telling the country that Bunge Tower is a private property? Then, put a big sign so that it will not be accessible to the public, but that is a public office. Media have a right to access, look at it and share with the nation. I hope the interdiction of the two members of staff will be withdrawn. They should be allowed to report back to their offices immediately. They should not be victimised because some of us understand the labour laws. That is what I wanted to say. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}