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"speaker_name": "Mr. Ojaamong",
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"legal_name": "Sospeter Odeke Ojaamongson",
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"content": "Fortunately, hon. Wamwere denied this allegation because he was nowhere near East Africa at that time. So, what was the Office of the President then doing with all this money? This was just a clear case of misappropriation of public funds, and the characters who are involved in all this have been revealed in the Report. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in our Report again, we looked at the Prisons Department and, in particular, we singled out Shikusa Prison in Kakamega. This was a case of free- for-all. The prison warders were the purchasing officers. They were in charge of the prison, and they were in charge of everything! They were using prisoners to grow maize and they could sell the same maize to the same prison. The prison officers were the ones selling firewood to the prison. In fact, there was total corruption and chaos in that prison and all the procurement regulations were violated. The Government funds that were sent there were taken by the Government officers who were manning the station, just because they were the ones selling firewood and maize to the prison. Actually, the prison officers had taken over the whole prison. That was just one of the examples, and if you sum up the practices which were taking place all over the country, indeed, the Government lost quite a colossal amount of money during that period. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we managed to go to Eldoret and inspected a few roads. Hon. Kipchumba and the engineers from the Ministry were there and they took us round. We also inspected some tarmac roads leading to Kitale, and they were in a terrible state. It was very unfair for the people of those regions, first of all, for the Government to have allocated those funds there and given the works to very unscrupulous contractors. The road that the then Government thought had been tarmacked had all been washed out when we went there. However, the contractors were paid in full. We requested them, in good faith, if they could re-do the job because the road had not even lasted for the specified period of time before it was damaged, but they refused. Despite our recommendations, people who had pending bills were being paid at night by the Treasury. When Mr. Raila was a Minister, he was so frustrated to a point of even confessing that the contractors he had blacklisted had been paid fully. In fact, it was very sad when a contractor even lured some Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament to his home, somewhere in Nyeri and fed them. Some were walking out with briefcases. It is very unfortunate that the same contractors have been brought back despite being blacklisted. As my colleagues have said, the past has a very clear reflection of the future. These people have learnt from the past how to be very corrupt. The people who misappropriated these funds that were meant for the construction of roads are still there. In our Report, we have actually singled out those who were in charge of this project. We went to Loitoktok and Shimoni to inspect the projects, as Mr. Omingo said. The irregularities there were astounding. Most of these deals were being done in collaboration with Government officers. Even if the Government knew that they were irregular, the Attorney-General was very ineffective. I do not think he will ever be effective, because we have the very culprits here who November 29, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4069 have committed all these crimes against our citizens and country. They have taken borrowed money from outside the country. I must say that this regime is better than the previous one, because, at least, it borrows and gives out something to the public. But those people could get loans from outside the country and put all the money into their pockets. Not even a cent was trickling down to the common citizens. This was very unfair to the common wananchi. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not left out. In fact, it was a free-for-all also in the Ministry during that time. Despite the Ministry getting its own allocation from this Parliament, it also receives money from visas and other charges from their various missions. We expect the Ministry to remit that money back here, so that we put it in the Consolidated Fund and then disburse it later on through the normal Budget. Officers from the Ministry used to collect this money and spend it the way they wanted. They could not even want to account for how they were spending it. When the Controller and Auditor-General highlighted this anomaly, we thought that the culprits would be dealt with and the money recovered through surcharging them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we tried as much as possible to put these issues to the Press, so that they were highlighted, but our Standing Orders could not allow us to do so. In fact, our Chairman at one time was being condemned for talking about issues before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a funeral. If only the media could serialise some of these reports after they are officially tabled in this House, and encourage Kenyans to read them, this would expose all the corruption in Kenya. If Kenyans could reflect very well, this might change their attitude. It might also change their attitude to the people in the public service and those outside the service, and also towards the use of resources. It might change their attitude towards their own Government and advise how well to use resources for their own benefit. It might also make corrupt people to realise that they are under scrutiny. In that way, they will not dare to do bad things again. As hon. Omingo said, we have a very poor judicial system. In fact, in Kenya, if you still a lot, you can also buy justice. If you steal Kshs500 billion, you will walk in Kenya scot-free, because you might only spend Kshs50 million to buy freedom. But a villager in Teso District who enjoys busaa brew at Kshs5, the police will mobilise even 100 Land Rovers to arrest him from his own home, and even from his bedroom. But how many people in a financial period have stolen millions of shillings belonging to Kenyans, yet, they are with us here in Parliament, because they went scot-free? Are laws made for the poor people or both for the poor and the rich? This is very unfair! You can see that people who were implicated in the Goldenberg corruption affair being reappointed as Ministers for Education. Instead of being taken to prison or being grilled at the CID headquarters, they are being taken back to the Government. The same people who misappropriated finances meant for renovation of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) are with us now masquerading as leaders of the Opposition in Parliament and causing confusion! For how long are we going to live with corruption in Kenya? With those few remarks, I wish to urge the Government today to realise that the citizens of Kenya are more important than their wish to sustain themselves in a corrupt regime. If we improve our service delivery now, and arrest culprits who have misappropriated our funds, Kenyans will have more confidence in the Government. The Government should not call Kenyans to State House to teach them how to be corrupt and how to do bad things, how to carry out assassinations, how to bring in mamlukis and so on. This Government can change a lot. Forget about those who were in the past Government. We have enough brains in this Government. We have hon. Wetangula, very bright man from Sirisia. We also have hon. Kimunya. We have very brilliant people. Why does the Government go for political spent forces? I am appealing to this Government to try as much as possible to improve its image. Our 4070 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 29, 2006 stolen money is still out there. If only you can put in a little more effort to return a small portion of it, that will be better. You should negotiate with the people who hold it. But, very unfortunately, we sent the hon. Murungi abroad to look for this money. I think that is why he was reinstated into the Government. He was nearly spilling the beans because he did not want to \"die\" alone. He wanted to \"die\" with others who know where this money is. He knows it and that is why he was reappointed to the Cabinet. Otherwise, if he had no knowledge of where this money is hidden outside there, he could not have been reappointed. I know he dared the President. He was not going to stay in the cold. That is the reason. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Mr. Kimunya should assist us now. Let us send him. I know he is a very sincere man, unlike Mr. Murungi. Let him get us this money, so that we can use it to build our schools, hospitals and roads. We will be very happy with him if he does that. Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir."
}