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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir for giving me this chance to second this very important Motion which has been ably moved by a scholar in the name of Prof. Anyang'-Nyong'o. It is important to understand and underscore the very important underlying issues regarding information. We all know that information is power. It can enable you make money and even give you authority. If you look around, those who are scared of this Motion are only living up to the Kiswahili saying that goes, \"Mjinga akierevuka, mwerevu yu mashakani\". When a person with less information gets more information, that one who knows a lot gets worried. I believe that is common knowledge to all of us. In fact, that is why people will always want to withhold information for purposes of walking on others' backs. It is critical that so many years after Independence, we do not want to still harbour this archaic thinking of \"siri kali\" . We are aware that \"siri kali\" is top secrecy. It means withholding information from the people you are leading with the purpose of misleading them. This must stop. If this Motion is passed, we believe that Kenyans will be more informed and enlightened and, therefore, challenge us on whatever decisions we make. Some of us in Parliament are being demonised for being unable to deliver services simply because people do not know what we do at the Committee level. People do not know how much we are involved in other fora, including seminars. So, it is important that Kenyans get information in order to make judicial judgement as opposed to blaming us always. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one wonders again that even Members of Parliament are not liberated informationwise. Our internet connectivity has been a mirage. Year in, year out, we have been told that we shall be connected to the internet. One really wonders how we can access information to enable us debate adequately, for instance, by comparing information existing in other Parliaments of the world. It is important that we get enriched with information. It will, in fact, make us wiser as leaders. When people are denied information, the possibility that corruption will thrive is very high. I want to give an example of the kind of shady contracts that were awarded in the Anglo Leasing scandal. The Anglo Leasing idea was noble. If only Kenyans knew the content, value, benefit and execution of the contract, they would not be as poor as they are. Lease financing is a good thing. However, what does it entail? Who executed it? It was executed in a dark room under the guise of security operations. That action robbed our country billions of shillings. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some time back, I moved a Motion in this House on opening up a public debt registry. My party Members supported me in moving the Motion, but later on they turned their backs against me simply because people sign on dotted lines in dark rooms with the intention of getting kick-backs, they actually blocked that Motion at the expense of Kenyans who are still suffering and paying huge debts. Corruption and ineptness creep in when we do not have free October 18, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2989 flowing information network. During the Budget that is read here every year, the Executive wants to hold back information from us so that they can bring us maggots in a briefcase. When they open the briefcase, we either take it or leave it. Kenyans do not have an input in the preparation of the Budget neither do Parliamentarians. The more reason why hon. Oloo-Aringo's Motion on setting up a Budget Office was really dragged or opposed. We hope that this Motion will be implemented, so that our people can participate in the management of information resources. Kitui and Mwingi Districts need water more than the Mount Kenya region. This is a fact. Owing to lack of flow of information our people end up suffering. If we do not have efficient flow of information, our decision-making process will be impaired and decisions made at wrong times. At the end of the day, Kenyans will not know what is meant for them in the annual Budgets. You will find that technocrats in Government offices will not spend money and will return it to the Treasury at the end of the financial year. This is because people, who are supposed to benefit from this money, are not well informed to enable them pressurise the Government to use funds. Time has come when those big stamps \"top secret\" or \"highly classified\" became a thing of the past. We must also guard against some people accessing information for purposes of using it to undermine others. We must have guidelines and regulations on the use of information, so that it is used only for the wellbeing of the nation or society. Information should never be used for the purpose of witch-hunting certain people. In the absence of free flow of information, we do not know who is corrupt and where they are. Those with classified information pick on somebody they perceive to be on the other side of the divide, and take him to court. If we have access to all the information about what happens where, we can challenge some of the decisions that are made to make use of it in a partisan or selective manner. Mr. Bill Gates is a billionaire because of using information. We cannot pretend not to know this fact, and bury our heads in the sand. The media today can only report what they term \"reliable sources\". This is simply because they work on speculation since they have no law to protect them from defamation suits. When the proposed Bill is passed, we will be able to authenticate information. The media will be able to access information from authentic sources, and will not fear prosecution. We do not access proper information because it is termed \"secret\" The Mover of this Motion indicated that the CDF is really in the minds of people because of openness in its operations. You can imagine the debate CDF has generated in this country and yet it is just 2.5 percent of the total Government revenue. It generates more debate than the 97.5 per cent of the Government revenue. This is why we need to open up and allow scrutiny of Government operations. I suggest that this be done so that the issue of secrecy of information becomes a thing of the past. This House has resolved that parliamentarians should be audited by their constituents. But because of the fear of the unknown a Bill has not come to the Floor of this House to make us accountable to Kenyans, which will make them re-elect us. As I speak here now, my constituents should be seeing what I am saying for the purpose of cultivating goodwill between them and me. Unfortunately, there is scanty information from this Parliament to the public. This portrays a wrong image, that we are paid a big salary for a job we do not do. It is important for this Parliament to be fair to Kenyans. Are we fair to ourselves as Parliament? Are we doing anything useful for the nation? If this Motion passes, I believe that it will be implemented. We can use the law to agitate for what is supposed to be done. I believe that the Government will support us to enable us to give Kenyans value for their money. It is only a stone-age person who will oppose this Motion. I believe that in the current era, we need to embrace free flow of information and information technology. Whether we have been doing right or wrong things, the only way to correct ourselves is to open ourselves up for public scrutiny and audit. 2990 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 18, 2006 With those few remarks, I beg to second."
}