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{
    "id": 231251,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/231251/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 646,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Syongo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 316,
        "legal_name": "Zaddock Madiri Syong'oh",
        "slug": "zaddock-syongoh"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. First of all, I would like to commend the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for doing an excellent job. Secondly, as hon. Arungah mentioned, we are debating a Report on transactions which took place six years ago. With modern technology, this is not really necessary. If we computerize our accounting system and the department in charge of internal audit and the Controller and Auditor- General's office, it will be possible for us to be debating, at least, transactions which took place only last year. The cost of improving our technical capacity to do a better job in a timely manner is a minor fraction of the amount of money that we lose. I would like to appeal to the Government to take the question of computerization of accounting and auditing systems seriously if we are to convince Kenyans that, indeed, we are serious about improving our efficiency and extending the value of the Kenyan Shilling paid by taxpayers in order to improve the services for our people. If I may just use the example of the Ministry of Education: Construction of colleges and universities. For that service, contractors were paid Kshs100 million through Treasury Bills. On top of that amount of money, the contractors also gained by virtue of keeping the interest which was payable on the Treasury Bills upon maturity. As if that was not enough, the same Supplies' Bills were processed as pending bills and the contractors were paid for the same services. This amounted to double payment. In spite of this being brought to the attention of the Government, up to now, nothing has been done to recover the amount of money which was doubly paid. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the culture of impunity should worry us. This is because these things happen, but nothing is done about them. How do we convince anybody that we are serious? When we were talking about Anglo Leasing, for example, we promised that we would pursue those who took the money and that we would even go overseas to get third parties outside Kenya's jurisdiction in order to recover our money. However, there are those people who have been proven to have taken money and are still in this Republic, and yet we cannot recover the money from them. Surely, what message are we sending to people? As Kenyans, we really need to be worried that the culture of impunity is entrenching itself. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it worries us as lawmakers. Why should anybody keep on breaking the law? Why should we punish people who take a few shillings and when this kind of money was lost, nothing whatsoever was done to those who stole it? Facts are there. Prosecution can at least be attempted and we leave it to the courts to decide whether there is a case or not, but at least the Government should take action. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}