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{
    "id": 191270,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/191270/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 216,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Namwamba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, let me start by applauding the Chair for the splendid ruling. It is worth to remind the Government side that they are bound by the principle of collective responsibility. So, whatever Mr. Kimunya has done, they cannot purport to come to this House and say that they can act as the accused, investigating officer, prosecutor, jury, judge and executioner. What the Government is attempting to do by telling us that they can appoint a Committee to July 2, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1589 investigate this is really attempting to close the stable one week after the horse bolted out. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Finance, hon. Kimunya is a custodian of public wealth. He is, therefore, under a sovereign duty of care. Not to appear to guillotine the hon. Minister on the premise of politics, it is important to acknowledge that this matter is deep, entrenched and its prosecution must be deeply founded in the law. The Mover of this Motion has mentioned a long list of public assets that have been improperly disposed of under the watch of this custodian of public wealth. They include Safaricom, Telkom, Kenya Railways and the billions of money that the country is losing under the contract with De La Rue. We also have money lost through the Co-operative Bank. And now, we have the Grand Regency Hotel. Therefore, the question we must ask is: Has the Minister been faithful to the law? This House has produced a lot of laws to govern the conduct of public officers, including Mr. Amos Kimunya. I just want to draw this House's attention to the Public Officer Ethics Act No.4 of 2003. Let this House determine for itself if, indeed, the manner in which this particular Minister has conducted himself, has been faithful to the principles of this law. Aside from the details of this law, this law establishes certain irreducible minimum code of conduct for public officers. For instance, Rule 8 of this Code of Conduct talks about professionalism and how a public officer is supposed to handle himself when handling public affairs. It says: \"A public officer shall carry out his duties in a way that maintains public confidence in the integrity of his office.\" Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must ask: Has Mr. Kimunya discharged his public duties in a manner that inspires public confidence in the Treasury? The public officer is required to treat the public and his fellow public officers with courtesy and respect. Has Mr. Kimunya treated the House Committees, that is, the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee of Finance, Planning and Trade with respect?"
}