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{
    "id": 524797,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/524797/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 126,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Maanzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2197,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
        "slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
    },
    "content": "That is why it covers a wide range under the Constitution in terms of public organs, including Parliament. I have looked through the Bill and I am greatly concerned with part 8 where they talk about offences and sanctions. Clause 60 creates offences and sanctions. The officers employed under that office can commit certain offences, including corruption. If you look at the offences and the punishment proposed, any officer found in contravention of the law will be charged in a court of law by the DPP’s Office. The punishment proposed is a fine of Kshs10 million or five years in jail. I do not think this is commensurate and at the Committee stage we will be proposing amendments in terms of giving serious penalties to people who have the responsibility to stop corruption, but instead engage in corruption and enrich themselves. If they are going to look the other side in order to help a corrupt Government official, then that is a serious offence. Therefore, you cannot just be punished by being slapped a fine of Kshs10 million or being handed a sentence of five years in jail. There should be strict penalties so that the people involved in the Auditor- General’s Office know that if they commit these offences then there is a serious matter at stake. However, if it is just Kshs10 million, which most probably they have already raised in what they are doing, since we are talking of a budget of over Kshs1 trillion and it is being managed by these people who are the ones doing oversight, then the penalties have to be serious. It should be mandatory that we not only have just a fine but both a fine and jail term so that we can strictly be able to prevent any corrupt practices. Hon. Speaker, under Clause 61(1)(a) there are other offences and general penalties also given: It states:- “A person shall not – (a) without reasonable cause or lawful excuse, obstruct or hinder, assault or threaten a member of staff of the State Audit Office acting under this Act.” These are public officers who stop officers from the Auditor-General’s Office from conducting business as usual. The punishment given for such an offence is a fine of Kshs1 million or one year in jail. Again, because a lot of money is involved in these matters, when you look at the Bill we need to put strict penalties so that we can stop corruption in this country and public monies can be put into good use. Kenyans need to safeguard their monies. I believe and a lot of Kenyans do that if we used public funds properly to serve the people of Kenya then we would have solved a lot of problems including irrigation issues and water problems which face a lot of parts of the country including my constituency. Many people are expressing doubts on the usage of money allocated to counties. Again, all these issues will be subjected to the Office of the Auditor-General which we are going to be setting up soon under the Act once the Bill goes through. I support and will be looking forward to propose further amendments to most parts of this Bill to make it more useful to the country and to make sure that the Auditor- General is also audited and is accountable to the country. Thank you, hon. Speaker."
}