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"id": 196319,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/196319/?format=api",
"text_counter": 75,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Mwiria",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology",
"speaker": {
"id": 190,
"legal_name": "Valerian Kilemi Mwiria",
"slug": "kilemi-mwiria"
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"content": " Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I did not speak about a bloated Cabinet. I think this matter is troubling the Prime Minister because he knows he contributed a great deal to the composition of a bloated Cabinet! It is guilt that is troubling him! But I am glad he mentioned that issue. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I just spoke about the issue of corruption. I said that the three leaders promised that they would fight corruption and that they would have a lean and clean Cabinet. I am sure the Prime Minister knows that not all his appointees are completely clean. I have hope, again, because Mr. Raila is now the Prime Minister. I remember how frustrated he was when he tried to reclaim land that was set aside for construction of roads. Individuals had put up houses on this land. He was very popular with Kenyans for that. He now has a chance to revisit that matter, not just with regard to the issue of roads but also with regard to any other public land that has been grabbed over the years. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we should also learn from countries in our region. Mr. Ethuro said that one of the reasons we exchange ideas is so that we can learn from regional countries. Do we have to go further than Tanzania to see how they are managing the issue of corruption? How many Ministers in Tanzania have resigned, just because they have been accused of corruption, including one who resigned only yesterday? Are we saying that the Tanzanians are more honest than we are, or that it is easier for them to deal with the issue of corruption than we can? Are we saying that we do not have Kenyans, who can own up and say: Look, it is quite clear that I am not good enough to serve the public; I had better call it quits? We need to begin to see that. If Tanzania and other countries are doing it, we, who pride ourselves in being the leaders in this country, must lead by example and begin to see some of us, who have caused the public so much misery, saying: Enough is enough; I am not good enough to serve the people of Kenya. We should also ask a lot more about how we recruit and promote people. Should we continue to promote and recruit people who have a bad record? Should we not emphasise the need for merit in all recruitment that we initiate as a Government? If you do not recruit people with regard to merit, how do you expect them to practise merit when they get to a position of authority? Is that realistic to expect? It is not! I have always argued, even in the last Parliament - I have written about it too - that even before we appoint Ministers, Assistant Ministers and senior public officers, we should subject them to some kind of vetting. It must not be left to a few top politicians and their very close friends to decide for us the people to lead this country."
}