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{
    "id": 510360,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/510360/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 165,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ng’ongo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "seriously that we could cut down on borrowing by prudently using the resources that we collect internally. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to straightaway go to the body, details and meat of our Report because I know I do not have much time. First, I want to start by looking at the audit queries of 2012/2013 which is the last financial year which we have considered. We must seriously handle the Ministry of State for Internal Security and Provincial Administration differently. This Ministry is hiding in security matters and confidentiality to fleece, rob and literally steal from this country. The officers in this Ministry literally steal from public coffers. Why do I say that? Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, there has been public debate about confidential expenditure which a lot of times has been talked about, of Kshs15 billion and Kshs2.8 billion. Well, I want to admit that the figure that our Committee worked with from the Auditor-General was Kshs2.8 billion. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Constitution is very clear under Article 201 that there is need for openness, accountability and transparency in management of public finance; even the Public Finance Management Act speaks to the same. However, again there are Government regulations which allow some level of confidentiality in terms of security expenditure. The Government financial regulations and procedures say that any expenditure on services of a confidential nature, the purpose and particulars of which cannot be made public must be supported in the accounts by a certificate that the money has been paid. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the fact that expenditure is confidential is not a blank cheque to the officers who are responsible to just apply public funds without any accountability. They are required to have a certificate to show that the money has been paid out or received. We listened to the Accounting Officer responsible for this Ministry explaining to us some of the expenditures that were queried, but the explanations given were not convincing at all. There was no certificate to indicate that these amounts were spent properly. In fact, it goes ahead to say that a declaration by the Minister responsible for the department that he has satisfied himself that the money has been properly expended and has not been used to supplement the emoluments of any officer, is a requirement. Actually, a lot of the amounts that were spent in this Ministry were used to supplement the emoluments of these public officers. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, even though these regulations are important, the Act of Parliament overrides regulations. The Constitution even overrides Acts of Parliament. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, there were suspicious expenditures. I want to point out that according to Government regulations, you cannot withdraw more than Kshs700,000 in a day. However, looking at the records you realise that on a particular day like 26th February 2013 there were about five withdrawals. The first withdrawal was for Kshs20 million; the second for a different cheque was for Kshs20 million; the third one was for Kshs40 million; the fourth one was for Kshs30 million and the fifth one was for Kshs30 million. In a single day the Ministry of State for Internal Security and Provincial Administration withdrew Kshs130 million cash to spend on what? You can never tell. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we must rein on this so-called confidential expenditure. A way must be found, otherwise we will continue collecting taxes from the people of Kenya and yet a few individuals get rich by misapplying the same. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in fact if you allow me again, on 5th March 2013 just a day after the general elections, this Ministry withdrew Kshs300 million in cash. To do what? The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}