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"id": 196135,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/196135/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
"speaker": {
"id": 192,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kasaine Ole Nkaissery",
"slug": "joseph-nkaissery"
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"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to make my first contribution from the Government side. I would like to start by, first of all, requesting that since we are in a Grand Coalition, all of us elected leaders should tone down our rhetoric and try to build and push this country forward. If we continue to take hard positions, this country will not move forward. As a Grand Coalition we belong to one Government. It is important that we come up with solutions to the problems affecting our people. One method of coming up with solutions is this debate on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Report. The major problem we are facing in this country is lack of policies. It is paramount that we formulate policies. We should give Parliament the teeth to bite effectively. If a report of the PAC is tabled in this House and people are accused of having squandered millions of shillings which was meant to help the citizens of this country, those people should not be spared. That is why the people of Kenya brought us here. That is the only objective way in which we can push this country forward. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have heard a lot of things from the two Reports. We have heard that a lot of money has been wasted. We have heard of the Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg scams. This House has been demanding that action be taken. It is high time we gave teeth to this House, so that those who are found to be responsible for wastage, squandering and stealing of the resources of this country are brought to book. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in the last general election each party campaigned on a platform of real change. The very unfortunate thing, and we have to be very candid about this, is that we have continued to recycle people who have brought this country to its knees. It is very shameful that we are talking of real change, yet we recycle people who have brought this nation to its knees. Since the PAC made recommendations for action to be taken against these people, this country has gone the way it has gone. But we should give Parliament powers, so that anybody found to have committed an economic crime, has action taken against him or her. Some individuals cannot continue dishing out land as if it belongs to them only. Land was created by God for all the people in this country. We have the case of one individual, a Commissioner of Lands, for example, who dishes out land to himself, his brothers and so on, and then he goes scot-free. This is the right time to deal with such matters. The Grand Coalition must be positive and objective in dealing with the people who waste the resources of this country. 632 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 23, 2008 Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we cannot stop corruption unless we allow the rule of the law to prevail. If someone is accused of having plundered money meant to fund various projects in this country, for example the money that was given for the construction of roads, he or she should be dealt with. There are some contractors who build roads, and even before the certificate of completion of a road is awarded, the road they constructed develops potholes. The contractor goes scot-free when he has already pocketed all the money. His case is only put in the PAC Report. We cannot allow this to continue. The best way to help this country is for this Parliament to empower itself, so that anybody found misusing, or stealing the resources of this nation is brought to book. I want to mention something about transparency. This Report is actually based on lack of transparency. All it is talking about is a certain Ministry, Accounting Officer or so-and-so having squandered money. I belong to the Coalition Government and I want to say that it will be very unfair to condemn only a Permanent Secretary. The Ministers should also be responsible. All Accounting Officers should be reporting directly to the Ministers. There should be no more shady deals conducted behind the Ministers' backs. The Ministers must be made aware of whatever is happening in their respective Ministries. That way, when Parliament demands an answer and that Minister is unable to provide it, he or she has got no business remaining in that Ministry. That is why it is very important that Accounting Officers are made to understand that they work directly under Ministers. We do not want, in the Grand Coalition Government, to have sacred cows. There will be no sacred cows because we will find out. If you commit sins against Kenya, you will be held responsible. I was amazed yesterday when I read the Kenya Gazette. I saw many cases dating way back to 2000 and 2001 and yet we come here as representatives of the people just to talk and talk. This House should not be a talking place. It should be a place where action is taken. If you are found to be responsible for a certain economic crime, you should be dealt with appropriately under the law. The Grand Coalition Government must provide services to Kenyans. Equally, it must provide security in Kenya without fear or favour. I think the fear we have had is because the House is afraid of the Executive. I am part of the Executive, but I want to be corrected and challenged so that I can provide services for this country. Trust is the only way this country will wake up and move forward. We have a problem with the issue of transparency. We have Accounting Officers engaging in shady deals behind the scenes and behind the backs of Ministers. They procure things illegally and then complaints reach this House that such-and-such a Ministry has been doing this and that. We want clarity and things to be done above board. All transactions concerning the Republic of Kenya should be done above board. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, good governance means accountability. You can only be accountable if you delegate authority and retain responsibility. What has been happening is that we have been delegating responsibility and retaining authority. That is a lopsided kind of management. It is important that you give authority and retain responsibility. So, if that person fails to deliver, you are held responsible. Of course, as they say, the buck stops with the source of instruction or order. So, while I thank the Mover of this Motion, it is important that the PAC reports be acted upon. The Attorney-General should move with speed. Every time we adopt a report in this House, those who have been mentioned should be brought to book. If you are actually a thief and you hold assets in this country, those assets should be frozen until the entire amount misappropriated is fully recovered from the individuals concerned. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to touch very quickly on a very simple thing that affects this House, that is, the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). Unless the money provided by the CDF is accounted for, then this House will not be effective. This is because April 23, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 633 Members of Parliament, as patrons, will always be put under pressure to account for the money through the CDF Committees. So, it is also very important. We have seen results of CDF money. We have not seen results of the Local Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF). This is part of corruption! What has happened with the LATF money? You cannot see any particular tangible project! We would like this House to also get to the root cause of corruption with regard to the LATF money. We need to know why we have no tangible results from the LATF money. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investments Committee (PIC) are the watchdogs of this House. Their respective reports must be given the necessary attention so that the Government can act on them after Parliament adopts them. We must give teeth to this House. We demand that the Attorney-General--- We do not want, for example, to keep talking about the Goldenberg scam and the Anglo Leasing scam because they are part of our history. However, we would like to see what is being done to those who have been accused. I would also like to talk about the issue of insecurity which is part of the Report. Although matters of insecurity will be addressed here in the next 20 minutes, and I would like to participate fully in that debate, it is very important that this Government takes the security of our people and their property very seriously. It is definitely an eyesore. It is disgusting to see Kenyans in IDP camps. It is unbelievable! When time for that debate comes, it is important to state that a solution to this problem should be found. It is also very important that our councillors, throughout the country, are remunerated well. They need to be paid better, say, Kshs100,000 per councillor. I think that is why they are not giving services to wananchi . They should earn a salary that is commensurate with their jobs. That is very important. I just wanted to gloss over those issues.I want to thank my friend, but it is important that we adopt this Report and take appropriate action. There is no point debating this Report if we are not going take action. I recommend that action should be taken against those people who have been mentioned in the PAC reports. They should not hold public office until they have been exonerated. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}