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{
    "id": 459827,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/459827/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 376,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Njenga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1510,
        "legal_name": "Francis Kigo Njenga",
        "slug": "francis-kigo-njenga"
    },
    "content": "In view of the new constitutional order, we shall expect professionals, academicians and business people to feel that even if they do not have money, they can still compete for elective positions. We should also remember the history of our country. We have people who got money through dubious means. That money has been used to bring leaders to Parliament – leaders who made laws that even made us to fight one another in this country. Hon. Speaker, when I look at this kind of spending I believe it also requires accountability. I know that accountability is well covered; and so is the involvement of the Auditor-General and a time frame in which you are supposed to give your budgets and audited accounts. There is also a penalty for not complying. If you do not comply within 20 days even after nomination you will not get yourself to the final election. I believe this will bring discipline and sanity. Most importantly, in the future, we should try to harmonise this law with the Elections Act. I look at a situation where there is funding from various parties. Even your own money is categorized and you are required to disclose. A disclosure requirement brings in accountability. This is good law. What about if it is said that the money we contribute in Harambees during election time should also be disclosed, so that it is categorized as expenditure? The beginning point is to pass this law. Once we pass it, we can always amend it as we move on to include such strict measures. As we legislate here, there are Kenyans who are busy doing business to come with money, which they will purport to use for the benefit of the people. In the real sense, the money will be intended for use to defeat us and make sure that the turnover in this Parliament is, as usual, less than 20 per cent of the sitting Members. We need to be accountable even with the funds that we give indirectly to our campaigners. It is true that such funds influence voting. This Bill has the aim of bringing in proper democracy. We know that democracy has been fought for, for so many years in this country. It has been fought for since the days of our colonial masters and the independence that we got. We are now going to celebrate 50 years of independence. We also had the second liberation and the fight for multipartysm. This particular law will make us benefit and reap the fruits of the struggles waged from generation to another. In the future, our children will come to this House. Even if you come from a family which is not so able, your children could make it here. So, there is consistency of good leadership. We need evaluation of people not based on their economic merit. I The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}