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"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all hon. Members who have contributed to this Motion, which reads as follows:- THAT, This House adopts the reports of the Public Accounts Committee on the Government of Kenya Accounts for the years 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 laid on the Table of the House on 22nd April, 2008. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, a lot has been said by hon. Members. I think what is really worthy of note are three points. One was raised by Mr. Githae. He said that all we are doing is lamenting and everything will come to nought. Mr. Githae, it was never intended that PAC would be pursuing particular cases with a view to concluding whether the accused persons were guilty or not, so that we can follow the due process of the law. PAC was intended to go for particular cases of malpractices that we came across and create general laws to prevent such future malpractises. That is because we are not a judicial body. Having said that, there is a mechanism for implementation of PAC reports. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I said, when we table these reports in the House and they are adopted, it is upon the Minister for Finance to pursue them with the relevant Ministries. He should also pursue all the queries that did not survive the scrutiny of PAC. We give a fair hearing to the Accounting Officers. We summon them to the Committee and those who do not 740 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 29, 2008 satisfy the Committee end up in these reports. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, unfortunately, the Treasury Memorandum, which is supposed to be a feedback to this House, has not been received since 1997. The Treasury Memorandum is the follow-up to the PAC reports. The Minister for Finance, through his Accounting Officer, is supposed to pursue all the concerns that are raised by PAC with the line Ministries. Then, the Minister for Finance is supposed to report back to the House through a document known as the Treasury Memorandum. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am repeating that now because the Minister is not paying attention. It has not been received since 1997. So, Bw. Waziri, kazi kwako ! Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, finally, when PAC is doing its investigations, a lot of emphasis is laid on over-spending or mis-spending of public resources. Enough attention is not paid to under-spending. If money is allocated to your Ministry or your department and you do not spend it, you are doing a great disservice to the Kenyan economy. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, fiscal policy over the Government expenditure is a big chunk of aggregate demand and if the officer given the money to spend does not spend it, there is a whole chain called the multiplier effect, which denies the Kenyan economy revenue and contributes to poverty. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, so, I would suggest that, in future, disciplinary measures be taken, not only against officers who have mis-spent or over-spent Government money, but even on officers who have under-spent. That is because they are doing a disservice to the Kenyan economy. They should be taken to task to explain why they did not spend the money that was given to them to spend, in order for the Kenyan economy to grow. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to move."
}