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"speaker_name": "Mr. Omingo",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important, even when employers are receiving job applications, to look at the curriculum vitaes (CVs) of the people applying for the job. Hon. Mwenje cannot be patient because the hon. Members who comprised PAC then could not be allowed to continue with their work because they chose to speak out openly on issues. The Committee inspected various projects, one such project being the Moi University- Cheptiret Road. I will endeavour to give some details about what we found on this road. This is an issue that even the Chair will not appreciate that it happened in the current world. We also visited the Ministry of Roads and Public Works offices in Eldoret Town and Elgeyo Saw Mills, which had been closed down because of political reasons. The observations and recommendations of the PAC, with regard to the projects that we visited, are contained in the specific audit queries as raised in this Report. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, before I embark on the general observations, for the record, I would like to state that this Report is as old as it is. However, the contents of the claims and problems cited in this Report continue to exist. It may look outdated and old, but today, if you read the Report and my comments thereafter, you will conclude that corruption is still rife in this country. It has refused to die despite the fact that this Government assumed power on the platform of reform, to fight corruption, economic liberation, employment creation and so forth. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I said yesterday, and history will bear me out, we have a wonderful country called Kenya. This country is wonderful because it is willing to give us beautiful \"bouncing babies\" every year in terms of resources. We have fantastic babies in the Coast Province in the name of the coastal strip. This is a wonderful tourist attraction. We have wonderful climatic conditions which can allow you to put on a tie for 24 hours a week and throughout the year. People from other countries can also come to see our good vegetation and beautiful landscape. All these are wonderful resources of our country. In some sections of this country, you can grow everything. This affords us to be self-sufficient. Woe unto the Kenyan Republic; we suffer from a plague called graft. As a result of this, we have had wastage and misappropriation of resources to the extent that this country is reeling under a Kshs750 billion public debt. You then, as a Minister for Finance, pretend to go out there to negotiate for aid when you actually have no financial spine. This is because you are desperately begging with a bowl in your hands! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the fantastic lady called Kenya is willing to give us \"babies\", unfortunately the plague of corruption has been eating \"babies\" one after the other regardless of the pain mama Kenya has been experiencing. These are the voices of the voiceless we have been talking about. We claim that our country has grown economically, but the wastage of our resources continues to weigh down on Kenyans. The poor population pays taxes whose value cannot be seen. The taxes they pay cannot match the services that they get. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the observations in this Report also touch on irregularities on road constructions. It is very painful. Listen to this: \"The Committee noted with great concern that contracts for several roads constructed during the period under review were varied unjustifiably and, on many occasions, the Government did not get value for money.\" Several nugatory payments were made by the Government. This means that the Government paid for nothing done. We had the Goldenberg scandal. When we complained, Mr. 610 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 12, 2007 Kamlesh Pattni was taken round in circles, but nothing happened to him. It is a pity that the Goldenberg scandal gave birth to Anglo-leasing leading to nugatory payments. This is where you get money from your pocket to buy nothing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is the same case with the contractor of Ziwa- Kitale Road. The original contract sum was varied by about 151 per cent. One wonders if there was a need to tender such a contract. For the information of the House, the accepted variation within procurement rules is up to 15 per cent. If the variation goes beyond 15 per cent, the contract must be re-tendered. I want to say on record that graft, in the same context, continues happening in our country today. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, during the construction of the Amala River-Narok Road, a sum of £10,161,598 was paid as interest on delayed payment, demurrage charges, advance payments and delayed issue of commencement order. One pound is equivalent to Kshs20. Therefore, when converted the contractor was paid over Kshs200 million. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what the contractors used to do and they are still doing it even today is to leave a wheelbarrow without wheel on the site. It could not move. Because it is a plant and machinery of the contractor, he would not be in a hurry to remove it. That wheelbarrow would continue accruing interest and damages. This is because the contractor would not have been paid for completion of the work. As a result, we continued paying damages and interest on a wheelbarrow without wheel. On the other hand, the contractor would have moved the other equipment to another site to earn him more taxpayers' money. What a shame? Mother Kenya is crying to this Government to nurse her \"babies\". Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is immoral for an adult African man to get money from one pocket and stuff it in another and run away as if he has stolen from himself. As unparliamentary as it might be, that is how \"primitive\" we behaved then and we are still doing the same today. The original contract sum for the construction of Kabonge-Serem Road was varied by about 145 per cent. The same thing is happening today. If there is anybody challenging me, let him or her, stand up to be counted! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), under the captainship of Mr. Muhoho, has varied a contract meant for Kshs800 million to Kshs10 billion."
}