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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Special Audit on procurement of passport issuing equipment by the Department of Immigration, Office of the Vice-President and Ministry of Home Affairs, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 28th March, 2006. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the mandate of the Public Accounts Committee is clearly stated in Standing Order No.147, which if I may quote, reads:- \"There shall be a select committee to be designated the Public Accounts Committee for the examination of the accounts showing the appropriation of the sum voted by the House to meet the public expenditure and of such other accounts laid before the House as the Committee may think fit---\". The special audit on procurement of passport issuing equipment was laid on the Table of the House on 18th May, 2004, by the Minister for Finance. It was deliberated upon by the Committee from 24th May, 2004 to 5th July, 2004, after which a Report was prepared, deliberated on by the House and rejected on 3rd November, 2004. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee consulted with the Controller and Auditor-General and the Clerk of the National Assembly on the way forward before taking evidence which led to the preparation of this Report. The Committee consisted of the following hon. Members:- Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta as the Chairman; hon. Joseph Kipchumba, hon. N. Nyagah; hon. Billow Kerrow; hon. Fahim Twaha; hon. Zebedeo Opore and hon. Charles Keter. Hon. Ekwe Ethuro, hon. Adelina Mwau, hon. Koigi Wamwere and hon. Kembi-Gitura ceased to be Members of the Committee 378 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 5, 2006 when they were appointed Assistant Ministers. The Committee commenced its sittings for the special audit on 7th February, 2006, and held a total of 22 sittings in which various persons who were named in the Report appeared before it and gave evidence. The Committee also decided to take evidence from the former Permanent Secretary of Governance and Ethics, Mr. John Githongo, who now lives in London since he fled Kenya. In our sittings, we were accompanied by a representative of the Controller and Auditor- General as well as our own Parliamentary staff. In the course of taking evidence, the Committee was faced with certain challenges mainly over the issue of sub judice and the fact that the passport issuing equipment project was a security project requiring Presidential consent before public officers appearing before the Committee could diverge certain information or produce documents. However, guided by our own rules as well as the parliamentary practices under the Commonwealth as illustrated by Erskine May, the Committee was able to proceed with taking evidence. Mr. Speaker, Sir, of late, the Committee noted with grave concern that one hon. Member, Mr. Murungi, who initially declined to be examined, cited various reasons that were not valid and published information accusing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of a partisan agenda and lacking in mandate. He also published parts of the HANSARD of the evidence by Mr. Githongo and claimed that parliamentary rules, practices and procedures have no room for a Committee of the House that summons an hon. Member and that he could only be requested. The Committee has since consequently referred this matter to the Powers and Privileges Committee for further action. It is important that he, eventually, agreed to appear before the Committee. However, he referred it to the provisions of Section 17 of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act and the fact that the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) was investigating the same matter. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I begin, I would like to take this opportunity, first and foremost, to express my gratitude and thanks to all the hon. Members of the PAC for both their patience and the fact that they sacrificed a lot of their own personal time to ensure that this Report was completed. They endured long sittings and sacrificed in many cases the interests of their own constituents during the period of taking evidence and compiling this Report. The Committee would also like to thank all the witnesses who appeared before it, especially Mr. Githongo who was willing to give evidence when he was alleging that he was receiving threats from powerful personalities."
}