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{
    "id": 532494,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/532494/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Billow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 260,
        "legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
        "slug": "billow-kerrow"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is on paragraph 9 of page 16. It reads:- “Irregular award of Tender for the Construction of Standard Gauge Railway to China and Bridges by Kenya Railway Corporation involving Kshs320 billion” It is surprising that this is the same contract that was cleared by the National Assembly, went to court and was cleared. Since my time is limited, I want to say the following on this matter. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, never before has the President been so tactlessly and unwittingly misled in condemning, unheard, dozens of his top brass in the Government just to pacify political detractors. It is not acceptable. In my view, it is not acceptable for something like this, which has no basis to be published, to be used to ask people to quit on the basis of a report where investigation has just started. It is also impractical to suggest that this can be concluded in 60 days. From January, 2013, on page 2, only 11 cases have been investigated and concluded. But now you want to conclude investigations on 175 cases within 60 days. It does not make sense. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, I want to say that due process simply means the following. It means that this Commission has to carry out investigation, complete it and the list goes to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). You cannot ask people who are governors, for instance, who are elected and representing people to vacate their offices on the basis of flimsy reasons we have seen in this report. I do not see the basis for asking Members of Parliament or governors to step aside. Even in the Western countries like the United Kingdom (UK), if you are a Member of Parliament, the only thing you give up is your party post, your position as Minister or any other office you are holding, but you cannot be told to step aside. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Section 4 on the Ethics and Integrity Act and read together with Article 79, says that a report from the Commission must be signed by the chairman of the Commission or an authorized person. This report is not signed and must carry a seal of that Commission. Section 19 says that it must carry a seal authenticated by the chairman. We do not support corruption, but I do not think this is the way to fight it. This, in fact, whoever the advisers of the President are, the intentions is to ridicule him. What it means is that in 60 days, this matter would not have been concluded and the President would be ridiculed by people coming back to their jobs. If the President needs to act, he needs to get rid of the people who advise him on this kind of thing because it is an embarrassment. This list was not meant for the President in the sense in which it was written. You can see the manipulation---"
}