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{
    "id": 1407214,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1407214/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "parastatals that appear before the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, he knows that parastatals are semi-autonomous of ministries. Indeed, the State Corporations Act is very clear that Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries or accounting officers cannot and must never be seen to micromanage parastatals or State corporations. Hon. Wamboka has failed to show us the nexus between Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and the procurement processes or distribution of fertilizers at NCPB. He also failed to inform the House that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) that has been investigating this matter has already preferred charges against the arrested and preferred charges, which the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has consented to, for the prosecution of officers that DCI feels might be culpable on the matter of the procurement and distribution of this fertilizer. I was waiting with bated breath for Hon. Wamboka to show us that nexus but he has failed to do so. Therefore, this Motion falls flat on his face. It also lacks clear precision of the violations of law and the Constitution. Hon. Wamboka did not show us a clear violation of any section of the law or the Constitution by Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi. Look at the probate value of the issues that the Hon. Jack Wamboka has Tabled before the House. I think the Hon. Murugara and Hon. Owen Baya had alluded to it. He took us through what the Hon. Member for Kilifi North was telling us they were not just excerpts from Citizen and NTV, Nation newspaper, the Star newspapers and other media houses. We have tremendous respect for our media houses. As a Fourth Estate, they have a duty as we do to oversight the Government and the Executive. We must allow our media houses to help us raise issues that are of concern to the people of Kenya just like we do. However, they cannot be the basis in line with our procedures in this House to adduce evidence before this House. I dare ask if we were to prosecute and impeach Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi on the basis of newspaper articles… Allow me the indulgence to read a newspaper article that was featured by the Sunday Nation on 14th April 2024 with the headline, ‘House Team Boss on Extortion Spree’. I am reading this article so that we may ask ourselves, if I am that House boss being reported here on an extortion spree, would it be fair for us to impeach myself? If that House boss is Hon. Wamboka, the mover of this Motion, how fair would it be for me to move the House to impeach him on the basis of a newspaper article from a gossip column like this one? This article said that the Chairman of a powerful committee is on the spot for harassing witnesses who appear before him. Talk of town has learned that the Chairman calls Cabinet Secretaries scheduled to appear before his Committee and demands huge amounts of money in order to be looked at favourably when they appear. The Cabinet Secretaries were heard complaining that the Member of Parliament uses threats to demand money at least one week before they appear before his committee. Those who fail to play ball by parting with cash demands are harassed during the appearance and negative reports are given on their manifesto."
}