Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 800043,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/800043/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "individual under the name that they come from the same tribe. So, people will know that no matter what they do, they just need to get the support of some few political leaders for them to escape with the loot. We have also seen a situation where people who have been accused of stealing little amounts of moment get severe punishment. Recently, a lady was accused of taking a bribe of Kshs2,000 and she was given a huge fine. However, when people who hold big offices are accused of having committed certain crimes, including hate speech, their cases take too long and eventually, no action is taken against them. If Kenyans feel that there is unequal application of the law, what will stop them from also wanting to get into public office in order to steal? Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a twinning of two challenges that face this country. The first one is tribalism, which has robbed us of our collective sense of purpose, such that when something happens, all of us have to look the other way if at all it concerns one of us with whom we share a surname or speak the same mother tongue. We have been bereft of the ethos of nationhood, so that we do not see public money as to commit public goods but rather, to enrich ourselves. Corruption has become a cancer and robbed us of our present and future. If this were to go on for far too long, then this country will have stunted growth in terms of development. Narratives have been given about why Africa has not developed. It is very good to easily accuse the history of colonialism. However, when you look at how we use our public money, you can tell that the problem is about us. It is how we execute that which we commit ourselves as part of what we need to use to solve our problems. Many Kenyans have actually stolen in the name of helping the poor. People have actually taken food meant for people who are starving or money meant for young people, who are supposed to be doing odd jobs. People have misused well intentioned programmes within Government to enrich themselves. Therefore, I think we need to put an end to this because, currently, we are borrowing to sustain our Budget and the same money ends up not being used for the benefit of public coffers but on projects where a few beneficiaries have already been identified. When we borrow to the point where we are now reaching unsustainable levels and our revenues have dwindled, what will happen to the fiscal policy of our country? How will we finance the many policies that we are passing here, so that Kenyans can benefit? Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is on record that a third of our national budget is lost through corruption. It is a pity that out of the Kshs2.1 trillion budget for this year, more than Kshs600 billion will be channeled to private use. The principle of raising revenue is to contribute towards the public good. If we do not achieve that public good by using these resources prudently, then we will end up not implementing the national projects we want to carry out. Time has come for us to act. Perpetrators of corruption must now be dealt with ruthless. Using the word “corruption”, some people may think it is lofty. These are thieves and they should be referred to as so. No sugarcoating. What is happening in this county is a grand heist. People are shamelessly stealing from the public coffers. 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"
}