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{
"id": 253902,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/253902/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 166,
"legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
"slug": "martha-karua"
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have come to a time when we have to rise to the occasion, as the national leaders of this country, and jointly embark on a serious mission to uproot corruption in the country. As has been stated, corrupt transactions started several years back. There was a regime change but they found their way into our Government. The reason is that we did not clean up the system. We are called upon now to clean up the system, so that Kenyans may read once and for all of these corrupt practices. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this process will entail cleaning up the Civil Service and screening the political class and the business people we deal with. It will require co-operation from both sides of the House. We cannot afford to make this a partisan issue. When investigations show us who the actual Anglo Leasers were, whether civil servants, politicians or businessmen, and the axe falls, let nobody whimper that this is my villager, brother or cousin. We should all accept that Kenya needs to once and for all deal with the issues of corruption, past and present, so that we may release our energy for development. It was rightly observed by the Leader of the Official Opposition that unless we deal with this matter decisively it will be an issue not only during the tenure of this Government but even after this Government has gone. It is a very heavy responsibility, and Parliament has to rise to the occasion. We all know that the Government has stepped up its war against corruption. These matters are part of the matters that are being dealt with under what we have called \"past and present cases of corruption\", in order to free the country from corruption. I am calling upon all hon. Members of this august House, and all Kenyans, to co-operate. When you are asked questions by the investigators, however clean you consider yourself to be, why do you not co-operate and let them know what they want, so that the matter may be closed? We cannot approbate and reprobate. On the one hand we say that, as a House, we want to fight corruption and on the other hand if you, as an individual, are called upon to answer questions, you either rush to court or resist. It is your right to do so, if you think that there is unfairness. But let us be serious; let us not obstruct this war against corruption. The Government, on its part, is serious, and that is why unprecedented steps have been taken to pave way for investigations. That is why the Government co-operated with this Committee of the House as it investigated this issue. You heard that a staff member from the Controller and Auditor-General's office accompanied the Committee to London for investigations. We too as, a Government, are interested in nailing the real culprits. There are culprits who could be in this House. There are culprits out there and in the Civil Service. We need to get to each one of them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, just to understand how complex this matter is, if you look at the back of this Report, where there is a tabulation, you will see that the 18 or so projects, now commonly known us \"the Anglo Leasing-type of projects\" started in 1997. The very first one started in 1997; then, we had another one in 1998 related to the Police Airwing. We had one in 1998, the Kenya Police Airwing Project, and we also had several in the year 2001. In 2002, the projects started in January, ending with the very last one on 18th November, 2002. As we were busy campaigning, other people were busy planning how to loot, probably to fund the Election. We do not know, and may never know, wittingly or unwittingly, because many people may have been beneficiaries of the 430 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 6, 2006 scam. However, it is time to find out, with certainty, who is responsible and who the beneficiaries are because Kenyans want back every penny they may have lost in these transactions."
}