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"content": "In fact, recent figures show that in a public procurement process, about 38 per cent of the costs go to private pockets. That also means that when you are trying to cost the project, you institutionalise those elements of corruption so that, then, as Sen. Wetangula said, a tissue paper can cost Kshs1,000, yet you use it in one day and it only costs Kshs20 in the local market. Madam Temporary Speaker, another key issue that we need to look at when fighting corruption is the culture of rewarding thieves. You will find that a suspect is very well known is named and shamed around, but when the next elections come, they are elected as a Governor or a Member of Parliament (MP). We have a case in the National Assembly where an MP is supposed to appear before fellow MPs to answer to charges of corruption from her previous office. That is the truth! Some of these people are the most eloquent on matters corruption. Sometimes we look very funny as politicians because the most eloquent are equally sometimes the most corrupt. Madam Temporary Speaker, we must also speak to the issue of primitive accumulation of wealth. Kenyans have decided that their role is to primitively accumulate wealth. The moment you primitively accumulate wealth, of course, you want to save it for yourself and your children. Those are the fears we then have. However, if we had good governance, a good pension system, retirement packages and what-have-you, one needs not worry about this. How much is too much? If you have three, 10 or 20 vehicles, you can only use one at ago. However, we have also seen wealthy individuals in this country who, after they die, their wealth vanishes and their children become wrecks because of the very wealth. I want to imagine that, actually, it is a curse because if they got their wealth wrongly, then it must crumble in the nick of time. In the true test of time, Kenyans must ask themselves questions, because we are all responsible. What answers will you give God the moment you appear before Him; that you used your public office to accumulate wealth primitively just for the sake of it? These are moral issues that we also need to think about. Madam Temporary Speaker, we must find new ways of fighting corruption. The laws and policies that we have are not enough because people have learnt how to circumvent them. However, the truth of the matter is that the junior officers steal on behalf of their senior officers courtesy of “orders from above.” Recently, John Gakuo, a respected former Clerk of Nairobi City Council, was jailed and people have complained. With due respect to him, let him be jailed so that, tomorrow, officers will know that they are not supposed to take illegal orders from their superiors because they will be held culpable and their superiors will go scot free. In every corruption scandal, there is always a politician, a lawyer and an accountant. Most of the time, the lawyer and the accountant – particularly the accountant – may be prosecuted, but the politician will go scot free. We must, therefore, have a situation where small people must stop acting on behalf of the big fish so that when they are eventually paraded, we do not say that they are the only ones being victimised. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other issue is about our national values and principles. We are a deeply corrupt society; we do not hold anything to account. Today, we have people who have been elected to public office and we sometimes wonder how they ended up there. People like Mike Mbuvi Sonko – and I will not fear to mention them 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"
}