HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 800041,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/800041/?format=api",
"text_counter": 105,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "strengthen the fight against corruption; and that the Committee do table its Report within sixty days. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this country is suffering. Today, during the National Prayer Breakfast, we saw a very good gesture from the two main principals of the politics of this country, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. It is also true that, today, we exorcised demons. Some of the exorcised demons were actually demons against corruption. We are being treated to the theatre of the absurd in this country; that people can conspire to loot and steal monies meant for young people. We have seen individuals being paraded, indeed, becoming the first of this kind of heinous acts. These people did not supply anything and were given the opportunity to blatantly loot our country without flinching. For a long time, Kenyans have been treated to the fact that when you steal public money, you become a national hero. It negates the tenets of natural justice and goes against the manner in which we would want to see our future generation looking up to people of integrity. As I speak, Kenya is facing one of the most outrageous scandals of corruption in the National Youth Service (NYS), and it is not the only one. Kenyans have become so cynical because when you look at our history, you will go back to Anglo Leasing, the maize scandal and many others, yet looking at the cycle, some of the purported beneficiaries have never been convicted. Recently, all the people who were accused in the NYS scandal were acquitted. To add insult to injury, some of the people who have been adversely named in this corruption end up occupying public office. They superintend over the affairs of the public using the very monies that they have looted from Kenyans. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we cannot have a country where meritocracy, hard work, due diligence and morality is negated by the fact that when you steal money, you are the one who seems to have the way. It has become so gross to the point that the looters of this public money have compromised every foreseeable public institution in their quest to escape justice. We cannot legislate character. Indeed, we cannot have a situation where we think the law can be a solution. However, it is incumbent upon this august House to be seized of this matter and look into ways in which we can help strengthen that fight against corruption. Looking at this Motion, we can all attest to the fact that, indeed, it is not due to the lack of laws or institutions that we have failed to fight corruption. There is a challenge in the fact that even when we believe in the rule of law, if the law is circumvented and not applied evenly, then we are encouraging more people to steal public money. In any case, what will you tell Kenyans, if stealing of public money has now been caricatured? Kenyans have become so cynical to the point that they now expect several seasons of scandals. We have had “NYS Season I” and now we have “NYS Season II”. Every time these things happen, we hear things like: “There will be no stones left unturned. We will not leave this matter to rest until everybody is held accountable.” However, it is business as usual. Kenyans have been treated to theatrics where, when somebody is being accused of stealing public money, you see leaders, including political leaders, rallying behind an 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"
}