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{
    "id": 1442759,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1442759/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 167,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Oburu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 194,
        "legal_name": "Oburu Ngona Odinga",
        "slug": "oburu-odinga"
    },
    "content": "When you talk of raising taxes, this institution called KRA is supposed to raise taxes from Kenyans, but the Government has missed it. I use to work with some of these people who are advising that raising levels of taxes and introducing new taxes is the way to go in raising money for the Government. I am sure that there are ways in which this Government can raise sufficient money, not only through the Finance Bill and all the requirements in the recurrent, but also all the requirements in development. We do not have to jump up and down begging money from people. Madam Temporary Speaker, I know from experience - I used to be an Assistant Minister for Finance. I can tell you that when we came into office, the economy was growing at a negative per cent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Within less than 10 years, the economy was growing at 7.5 per cent, almost 9 per cent. This is because of sealing the loopholes for corruption. I can tell you that this thing called harambee is one of the conduits of corruption. The way it was dealt with at that time by the President was to first give instructions to all public officers; that to participate in harambees, you can contribute money, but do not go there as a guest of honour. Do not also go there with the monies saying, ‘I have been given this, I have been sent by so-and-so.’ The so-and-so, you are giving money are the ones who have corrupted you because they came for you for free service. Instead of giving them free service, you ask them for bribes in order to get those services. I can also tell you that corruption starts from the top. The fish rots from the head. If you are the head of an institution and you are corrupt, there is no way you will deal with people beneath you and instruct them not to be involved in corruption. If you are the head of a ministry, there is no way you will instruct people below you not to be corrupt when you are corrupt. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is no way if you are the President of the country that people would think and have the perception that you will tell them not to do the same. This thing called corruption starts with supplies. When you go to supplies, the issuing of contracts, you will find contractors lining up in big offices with briefcases. If those briefcases are stopped, those contractors will do a good job. They will do quality work and the people will get value for the taxes they pay. Madam Temporary Speaker, you cannot be asking people to pay taxes, yet they do not see the result of the taxes that they pay. I know that I was living in a country where the President said that there will be no briefcases to his office. Any contractor who went to his office, would be told please go and do your work. I do not want you to come to my office for anything. You go and do proper tendering. If you win, it is because you deserve it, get the job and do it as you should. Within a very short time, that country was raising sufficient money to pay for their recurrent expenditures fully, to service their debts fully, without any stress. They were paying for their development budget of almost 95 per cent. When I was in Government here, we managed to raise sufficient money to service our debts comfortably. We managed to raise sufficient money to pay salaries and recurrent expenditures comfortably. The development budget was being financed at 90 per cent from our own budget. What happened? Any Minister who was mentioned in the case of corruption was asked by the President himself to step aside until investigations were complete. You had to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}