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{
    "id": 1461118,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1461118/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 276,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Corruption Commission (EACC) come to us and say that, yes, Senate, you have referred 146 matters to us, but give us the resources to undertake our job. How can the Senate expect the EACC to carry out investigations in 47 county executives and in 47 county assemblies and yet the Senate is not involved in allocation of budget to that commission? We must rise above our partisan political formations and stand for this House. When this House insisted on vetting the Inspector General (IG) of Police, I was in this House and Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale was there. The initial mischief was to process and fast track it through the National Assembly. This House stood up and eventually the IG became a client of both Houses. We must also insist that we give effect to Article 249(3), otherwise, these commissions will have no respect for the Senate. These commissions will not follow up any matter that has been referred to them by the Senate because he who pays the piper calls the tune. If they know it is the National Assembly that is involved in their resource allocation, even if there was competing recommendations, if you tell the EACC to pursue something, they will tell you they are still dealing with the recommendations of the National Assembly because that is where their bread is buttered. Madam Temporary Speaker, let me talk about the interview process. We have the Public Appointments Parliamentary Approval Act. This is a statutory instrument or law that relates to how Parliament shall conduct itself when it comes to constitutional and statutory appointments. I do not agree with the Committee on paragraph 13, page 16. I disagree with the Committee when it makes reference to Standing Order No.76 and No.77. This interview should have been done in line with the Public Appointments Parliamentary Approval Act, the same instrument that the National Assembly has been using to vet the Cabinet Secretaries. The reason why I say so is that the Public Appointments and Parliamentary Approval Act provide great detail on how this exercise should be conducted. That Act says that Parliament shall focus on academic credentials, professional training, experience, personal integrity and the background of those who have been proposed to take up constitutional and statutory appointments. Being a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission is a constitutional appointment. How I wish the committee would have made reference to the Act of Parliament that is currently in existence rather than to Standing Order No.76 and No.77. That Act, if it would be properly implemented and not with the kind of mischief that we have seen in past vetting for Cabinet Secretaries, there is a question that has always come up, the question of net worth. I can tell you that many a times when you are vetting nominees to the Cabinet, Kenyans do not remember what they said they are going to do because it is one thing for them to aspire to do something, but there are also the established government policies. I have seen some Cabinet Secretaries say how they are going to be publicly spirited and how they are going to do things differently but let us remember that there are already budgets that have been established. There is already a President who is in office. If you come with views that are at variance with those of government, the existing budgets, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services, Senate."
}