Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 223735,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/223735/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 223,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Katuku",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Water and Irrigation",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 281,
        "legal_name": "John Mutua Katuku",
        "slug": "mutua-katuku"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am very right. I am not misleading this House. I remember when the issue of Anglo Leasing came up, I was an Assistant Minister for Finance. If you go to the HANSARD, I kept answering Questions on Anglo Leasing. I said: \"This was worth it. We needed the ship for patrolling our seas\". I also came here personally to answer a Question on the forensic laboratory. Now, hon. Members are saying this laboratory is long overdue. I am totally right. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, criminals get away with offences because we do not have the capacity to determine this and Maj-Gen Nkaisserry knows this very well. He has passed through this. We needed the laboratory as early as yesterday. It is now time we put aside our political differences and looked at issues of national security. We should not politicise everything we do. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the recommendations says:- \"The Kenyan media should carry out research and establish facts before publishing unfounded but damaging articles that hurt Kenya's overall image\". This is very important. I want to appeal to the media that they should not write stories just to make capital out of it. We need to guard our integrity as a nation because that is very important. I am sure the media will take up some of these recommendations and correct the impression they created through their 1090 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES May 2, 2007 reporting on utterances made by some hon. Members. Since they sold their newspapers, they should also come up and clear the issue of Anglo Leasing because it is a major concern. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we should also look at our armed forces. Our armed forces are respected worldwide for discipline. Whenever armed forces are needed anywhere in the world to keep peace, Kenyans are called upon to assist. But when we come up with damaging stories about our armed forces, we are eroding the confidence the rest of the world has in our armed forces. I want to appeal to them to soldier on because we are happy with what they doing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the former Shadow Minister for Internal Security and also the current Shadow Minister for Provincial Administration and Internal Security was speaking, an hon. Member mentioned that he could become a Minister in the Raila Government. I want to wish him well, but that will take a long time. I am sure by then, he will not be able to take on the job. But I still want to wish him well. I hope he will continue to be a shadow Minister if all goes well. If not so, then I am seeing a situation where he may not even be a shadow Minister. The best thing would be for him to join the Government so that he can be appointed substantively. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to note that we have passed the Procurement Bill here, which details how contracts are supposed to be awarded. We need to trust the people who are doing those kind of contracts because once a process has been done professionally, if anybody has anything to query, there is a tribunal he can go to and query how tenders are awarded rather than politicize it. That will not do any good to this country. With those many remarks, I beg to support the Report."
}