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{
    "id": 254384,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/254384/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 220,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 313,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
        "slug": "joseph-lagat"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a pertinent question that Members must ask themselves every time. Now, we are discussing issues that we referred to the Controller and Auditor-General, to audit and give us a report. The question is, why has this report not been brought previously to this House? Where has the PAC been previously? Some of the reports that are given to the Treasury are delayed. Evidence adduced before this Committee indicates that, indeed, all the 18 projects were audited way back at the beginning of last year and completed. They were given to the Treasury, but the Treasury sat on those reports for almost one year. We are grateful now that the National Audit Office Act was amended to the extend that if Treasury cannot give the reports to Parliament immediately, those reports can be given directly to Mr. Speaker. But those were management audits which required the input of the Minister for Finance. When the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Kinyua, received this management audit, he sat on them until this issue has become what it is. I would like to urge Treasury to sack a Permanent Secretary or the Accounting Officer who does not perform his role immediately. Treasury has always assumed that Permanent Secretaries are always appointed by the President. But the Act says that they are appointed by the Treasury and taken to the President for approval. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I must also say that the Ministry of Finance has the responsibility of approving single-sourcing and security items. However, an approval is not just a mere signing of the contract. It also involves going through the entire document. To the extent that if you do not have the ability to read through documents, then, you should not be a Minister for Finance. That is the simple advice that I would like to give to those who would like to become Ministers and yet, they do not have the energy and patience to go through documents. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Vice-President did tell the Committee that, indeed, most of the work is done by the Permanent Secretary. We fully agreed with him. This Committee is saying that it is high time Ministers stopped being mere rubber stamps. They must be accountable and responsible. We cannot continue paying them handsomely when we know they hand over their responsibility to their Permanent Secretaries. I think it is abundantly clear now that if any Minister does not do his job, this Parliament will ensure that he is accountable. This is because the pertinent question is: Who brings the budget of the various Ministries to the House? Ultimately, it is the Minister. Therefore, he must ensure that all documents are in order."
}