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{
    "id": 644320,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/644320/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "County came first and second on issues of corruption. Is it a surprise that those two counties are the same ones that have preceded every other county in this Senate? I know for sure that some counties are claiming that Murang’a County rigged to be in position one. However, I dare say that whether the survey was right or not, it indicated that there are very serious issues that need to be looked into. We are talking about accountability. I am on record many times as having said that the money that comes from the national Government and goes to county governments is our money. It is public money because it comes from our taxes. The national Government has no way of creating funds or money apart from the taxes that we pay, which then, in the spirit of the national covenant, is shared equitably amongst the 47 counties. Are we wrong in asking for accountability when people say that they want to be told how an acre of land can cost Kshs10 million when we know that in Murang’a County, it cannot cost more than Kshs2 million? When they ask for the accountability and how much an acre was bought, nobody gives them an answer. They are left with a very sour and bitter taste in their mouths. They then wonder for what purpose did we have a new Constitution. For what purpose, do we have devolution if the money is devolving into individuals’ pockets and not for the general benefit of the people who are supposed to get the benefit of that money? The Presidential Address, therefore, gave hope to many Kenyans. It showed that there is still hope; that the institutions which are there need to be strengthened because one of the greatest frustrations that we have in our country today is the Judiciary. I have no fear of contradiction in saying that it has been one of the greatest frustrations to the issues of corruption in this country. The wheel of justice spins so slowly that when things that need to be followed up immediately are done, they wait for a very long time. We are still discussing the Anglo-Leasing Scandal which happened almost 20 years ago. We have the “chickengate” scandal which happened more than 10 years ago and nothing has happened. In the meantime, people are still waiting, and no pun is intended. The chicken thief in the village is jailed for three years within a very short time, because he or she is not able to bribe their way through the wheel of justice. This is the tragedy of our country today. It is a very big tragedy. We have seen three banks collapse in a very close sequence. Some of us who were around in 1986 and 1993 when Trade Bank and other banks collapsed can remember how people suffered due to the closures of the banks. Why do banks close? When the Senate asks the question about the very high interest rates charged by banks vis-a-vis the very high profits that they are making and what the relationship is, we do not get an answer. In the meantime, the same thing goes on happening. I agree entirely with the National Assembly Majority Leader who yesterday, called insider loaning or trading, “theft of the depositors’ money”. What will happen? Are we going to wait for another three, four, five or 10 years before the depositors can reclaim their money because corruption fights back? We know they have a lot of money to fight back. When you hear somebody has loaned themselves Kshs7.9 billion, what can they not do with that money if it is still floating around? What justice cannot be bought? What will happen to the poor person? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}