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{
    "id": 73372,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/73372/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 372,
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    "content": "Treasury to ensure that those who are in charge of running or managing the IFMIS system are well trained. That way, we will deal with the issuance of imprests irregularly. In the past, we used to see inadequate preparation by the accounting officers but in my view, I think this is an issue that is not a major problem at the moment and we want to congratulate those who have been able to keep up with the standards with which the Committee expects of them. This Report has also highlighted the role of public works in most of our development agenda that we have. As Mr. Midiwo has noted with some of the Government departments, I think the most notorious department in the Ministries is in the Ministry of Public Works which is in charge of giving estimates to infrastructural contracts which are common in all the Ministries. We find that there are very many inflated costs as we even witnessed this financial year where programmes which are implemented through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), a classroom which you would construct at a cost of Kshs300,000 to Kshs400,000 ordinarily in my constituency, for example, the Ministry has given an estimate of Kshs1.5 million which is two to three times the ordinary cost. This is one of those classical cases in which we can say that the Ministry of Public Works has let us down and we believe it is one of the ways the Ministry officials use to siphon public finances. Another issue which has been reiterated year in, year out, is some of the dormant funds that exist in the Government. One of them is the Sugar and Cereals Finance Fund. Every report that has been tabled in this House for the last five years has recommended that that Fund be wound up but to date as we speak now, that has not happened. We must make sure that, we, as a House, take concrete steps to force the Government to abide by its word. Every year, it says that it will wind up these dormant funds within five or six months. However, many years have passed without any concrete step. For the last three years which I have been a Member of PAC, nothing has happened. It is the same case this financial year. The Sugar and Cereals Finance Fund is dormant, yet it is holding a lot of public funds. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if this does not happen, we, as a Committee, may want to find other ways by making recommendations to this House in form of resolutions to force the Government to wind up most of these dormant Funds, including the Sugar and Cereals Finance Fund. The Ken Ren Chemical and Fertilizer has been talked about so much by several hon. Members. This factory does not exist. However, we, as a country, continue paying millions and millions of shillings to foreign banks in Belgium and Austria. We need to make a decision as to what can be done to save the Kenyan taxpayers and our children from paying these debts. If I remember very well, we are supposed to repay this money in millions for the next 15 or 20 years. I hope with the able leadership of our Chairman, we will see what we can do to stop committing our country and our children from paying debts to a company that does not exist. This is very expensive. Finally, another point which I want to highlight, which has been common in our reports, is about some conflicting roles of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) and the Attorney-General’s office in matters of investigation. There are some cases in which we feel that the Attorney-General’s office has an interest and has no capacity or moral authority to investigate. I hope the KACC will take this with speed, investigate the cases and take action accordingly. A case like Anglo-Leasing scandal should not be investigated by the office of the Attorney-General. We feel that some"
}