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{
    "id": 254489,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/254489/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 325,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 324,
        "legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
        "slug": "gor-sungu"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, where is Ambassader Muthaura, the man who misled the whole country by publicizing in the Press that there was no impropriety with regard to Anglo Leasing? Where is he? He is still the Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Public Service. Why has he not resigned? Instead, he has gone ahead and suspended other Members of the Government who have security of tenure. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want us to approach this issue very clearly; in corruption matters, we should not brook any excuse whatsoever because the people of this country are counting on us to make sure that we make progress, eliminate poverty, ensure that we have medicine in our hospitals and that our people can progress and create employment. We cannot do this if we allow corruption to exist and prosper at higher levels of our society. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to submit humbly that there is a higher responsibility on us, as leaders, to take responsibility for what happens in our Ministries and departments. We cannot escape this by saying that civil servants are the chief executives because we have the political responsibility to the Kenyans who elected us. I want to proffer an opinion that this Government is responsible and culpable for what happened with the Anglo Leasing affair because they had every right to stop it when they came into power. They campaigned and I also campaigned, because I am a Member of this Government, on a platform of zero-tolerance to corruption. I have a lot of respect for hon. Members of the Government side. They are all my friends, some of them are my father's agemates. But when they defend corruption, that is where we part ways because my constituents are suffering. Very many people cannot afford a square meal in a day, and it is wrong that we, in the Government, are now being seen as protecting the corrupt, or condoning corruption when we have promised the people of Kenya that we do not want corruption. Corruption must be rejected in toto. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on page 14 of the Report, hon. Murungi has been quoted as saying that the Anglo Leasing and Finance Company scandal involves us. I do not want to go to the argument as to whether what Mr. Githongo said can be questioned or not. However, all those issues are in the Report. That leads me to ask a question: Who is \"us\"? It refers to this Government. It is this Government which must be blamed for this scandal because they have themselves admitted that April 5, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 405 this issue involves them. No wonder the Leader of Government Business in this House actually lied to Parliament. That is something that is not excusable. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to remind this House that due to the fact that we do not have enough money---"
}