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{
    "id": 228583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228583/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 53,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Serut",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 297,
        "legal_name": "John Bomet Serut",
        "slug": "john-serut"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not need to resign. I need to air the views of the people of Mt. Elgon at the dispatch box. The issue of employment has been dwelt on here. Most hon. Members have spoken about employment and they are saying that those who are being appointed are from certain regions. I want to agree with them. Yes, that is true. The reason is simple. Those who were Ministers by then are the ones who urged that they be vested with powers to appoint their own people. If you look at any Ministry now, you just need to look at the Minister and you will know who has been employed there. If you look at the staff who are employed in the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Roads and Public Works you will know who were the Ministers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as Kenyans we need to devolve the powers from the Ministers and revert them back to the Public Service Commission which is the right body to deal with appointments. I want to agree with the hon. Members who said that these appointments should be brought to the March 29, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 247 House for vetting by Members of Parliament before they are effected. I would also like to look at the issue of Judges. I do not think we should increase the number of Judges. I think we should find out whether there is any interference with the Judges who have already been appointed and are working now. We need an Evaluation and Monitoring Team within the Judiciary including the Law Courts where as I speak now, corruption has crept in. You cannot get a free bond in any lower court unless you know a clerk or somebody else within that court. I gained some experience in a court in Bungoma about two months ago. When some clerks saw me the file disappeared. Indeed, it only re-surfaced after the intervention of a Mr. Njai who is the Registrar of the High Court. Let us look at corruption from all corners. Let us not narrow our minds only to Anglo- Leasing. Most of the hon. Members have spoken about Anglo Leasing. What about land grabbing? Why are we so narrow minded about the issue of Anglo Leasing to think that it is the only case that involves corruption? Why not focus on land grabbing? There are people who have grabbed school land and today they are talking of Anglo Leasing. I know of an hon. Member who used to be a Cabinet Minister. He grabbed seven acres out of a school in Nairobi. Today he can come here and talk about those who are corrupt. Since when did he become holier than thou? I think corruption is corruption whether it involves grabbing land, Anglo Leasing or whatever. As Kenyans, let us all desist from corrupt practices in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to speak about reforms. I am happy now that as a Government we have given in to minimum reforms. During the Referendum we were told that 80 percent of the proposed Wako Draft was good for Kenyans. Why do we not take that 80 per cent and give it to Kenyans because it had been approved by Kenyans then we go back and discuss the issue of 20 per cent? Why have we gone back to issues which were contentious from the word go and yet we know that we have a short time to deal with them? I was shocked yesterday when the hon. Members from the other side of the House said that they want dialogue with the Government side along the IPPG model."
}