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{
    "id": 685536,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/685536/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 169,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Okoth",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12482,
        "legal_name": "Kenneth Odhiambo Okoth",
        "slug": "kenneth-odhiambo-okoth"
    },
    "content": "000 to get a passport, licence, their health checkups and guarantees to go and work in Bahrain, Dubai or other countries. When the YEDF is mismanaged, they lose all those opportunities. There is a silver lining behind every cloud. We have come from a season of shame, embarrassment and disappointment in how the YEDF has been managed. Now, we have a new head of the Fund, that is Ronnie Osumba who is my friend. I am proud of his work so far. He seems to be setting a good tone. We need to hold him accountable and give him support. We need to make sure that any corruption and mismanagement that was at the YEDF gets changed now. If he, with his team, need power and authority to employ new people, that will be important. Last but not least, even as we wish Ronnie Osumba and his team better leadership at the Youth Fund, all the people who stole from this Fund stole away from the dreams, hopes and ambitions of our young people. There is nothing worse than stealing dreams, hopes, and ambitions of young people who are the bedrock, have talent and the opportunity to build this country and take it to the next level. I hope those people will not be considered sacred cows or untouchables. These are people who took away Kshs 63 million, Kshs90-something million and Kshs180 million at one point. Those people must be held accountable. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would like to tell you today that if any young person dares steal a goat, cow or even a simple cell phone in your constituency, he or she will be arrested and will spend a long time in jail. This is the case and yet the thieves who took away hundreds of millions from the YEDF and stole from our young people, not just that money but the opportunity to use that money to build themselves, be independent, reduce crime rate and reduce the poverty rate in this country are comfortably moving around this country. We do not know, maybe some of them have even left the country. I will be curious to know the status of their cases, how many have valid diplomatic passports and if they can travel in and out of the country at will. Those people must be brought to book and their assets confiscated. The full amount they took plus interest must be returned to the Fund. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}