Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1522132,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1522132/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Madam Temporary Speaker, this issue should bother us. It must disturb any leader, that we continue to talk about it but there is very little that is being done. A few weeks ago, one of the seven top decision-making members of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) visited the country. As part of the delegation, there was a gentleman whose equivalent in Kenya would be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). I sat next to him at the state banquet that was held in honour of that visiting delegation. We had conversations about what he does and there are a few things he shared with me. He told me that in the Chinese society, they have three strategies that they use to fight corruption. They classify the corrupt in three categories. The first one are the tigers, I forgot the second one, and the last one are dragons or insects. Tigers are people like you and me; the high and mighty who serve in big public offices. That is where they dedicate their biggest energy and resources. The reason is that they are used to create an example to the ordinary citizen when they are arrested or found culpable. You have watched how they even prescribe death penalties on very high- ranking public officials, including ministers, the minute they are found to have participated in theft of public resources. He said that strategy has continued to work because it sets an example to other people. I believe the day we will jail a few senior public officials, the war against corruption will take the right trajectory. As long as it is known that once you have been caught and convicted and the lower courts perhaps hand you a verdict, you can move to a higher court and get a reprieve and be released. There must be a reasoned argument, especially where there is involvement in loss of public funds before a judge issues a reprieve against say, a magistrate’s court or a High Court releasing a suspect or a convicted person and allowing them to continue serving the public as they battle their appeal. If that was to happen, so long as it is not driven by witch-hunt or political machinations, we would have followed that particular strategy on how to deal with the tigers; the big boys and girls who are supposed to set an example. If you are a boss in the office who is not involved in corrupt practices, then those who serve under you will begin to follow the example. I believe the lower-level staff borrow the practices. He told me that the second category are middle level managers and civil servants working in various government and state agencies. They have a unit specifically dedicated for such people. These are the spanner boys in corrupt dealings. They do not care much even when administrations change because they know they will have their way anyway. It is important also to go after such. I hope the EACC will also focus and turn their attention over and above such people, so that we set a good example and people can know that if they participate in such activities, they will be jailed. That is why we are passing this Conflict of Interest Bill, so that people can declare conflict of interest by stating that they cannot serve members of the public dutifully. That should allow them to go to the private sector where they can do their jobs, make profit and live decent lives. 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."
}