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{
    "id": 462492,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/462492/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 308,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Njomo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1784,
        "legal_name": "Jude L. Kangethe Njomo",
        "slug": "jude-l-kangethe-njomo"
    },
    "content": "What the committees cannot do is primary investigations, because of lack of infrastructure, laboratories and the technical knowledge. They have the powers to make sure that the right organs of Government that are supposed to do investigations do their work. As Members of the Public Accounts Committee, we conduct investigations on different matters from Departments of Government. We do not go on the ground to do primary investigations but we use the Auditor-General, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and other organs of Government to conduct investigations and use the information we get to prepare reports to bring to this House. The other issue is the one raised by hon. Rachel Shebesh, on whether we should discuss matters that are being handled by the committees. My take on this is that matters being investigated by committees are the hottest in the country. They are matters that are close to hearts of very many people and are being discussed everywhere. If we were to say that Members of this august House will not discuss these matters, we would be gagging Parliament. As much as we do not want to gag the media, we also cannot gag Members of Parliament. In my opinion, as Members of committees, we have the privilege of getting information that is not available to other people. We are able to get substance and this is what we should not discuss outside the committee, the privileged information we are able to get as Members of Parliament. When we are discussing matters that are available to everybody, then that should be right thing to do, otherwise we shall not be able to do our politics effectively, because everything will be handled by committees and then we will have nothing to talk about. Thank you, hon. Speaker, Sir."
}