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{
    "id": 816415,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/816415/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 360,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Laikipia West, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Patrick Mariru",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13403,
        "legal_name": "Stanley Muiruri Muthama",
        "slug": "stanley-muiruri-muthama-2"
    },
    "content": "seriously. They should not just receive complaints from Kenyans and dispense with them. The commission needs to go beyond receiving complaints. They need to get into the Government and address some of the systemic issues within the Government that Kenyans keep complaining about in our ministries, agencies and parastatals. There is need for the Commission to go beyond the ordinary, the normal and go beyond what other commissions do so that they get to know why Kenyans are complaining against certain Governments agencies, officers and certain issues so that they get deep into the issues. There is need for there to be a very close collaboration between the Commission and the National Assembly because some of the issues that are being raised, sometimes would need policy or legislative intervention and the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs will come in handy in addressing these issues that Kenyans are suffering from. Also, this House needs to rise to the occasion and support this Commission. On resources, the budget allocated to this Commission this year is certainly inadequate yet we are talking about this Commission getting to the counties. The complaints and the issues being raised by wananchi are not just being raised around national Government. It is also about county governments. There are issues that need to be addressed in the counties. This Commission would need to find branches within the counties. They need resources. If we allocate them little resources, they will not be able to address the issues that are being raised by wananchi . How will they get to the counties? There is also the challenge of a commission that just receives complaints and at the end of the year, they do a big annual report and that report gets to the cupboards. There is no clear way of following up on the issues that are raised by this Commission. In the last Parliament, the National Assembly enacted the Access to Information Act that gives certain responsibilities to this Commission. In accordance with the Access to Information Act, which emanates from the Constitution, Kenyans have a right to know what is happening in the Government. If there are issues and hindrances to Kenyans accessing information, they go to this Commission based on that Act. There is even expanded responsibilities, roles, opportunities and spaces for this Commission that Kenyans should utilise. Therefore, the issue of resources is very important. It will be important for this Commission to have functional relationships with other agencies like the EACC and the DCI. Some of the issues that are being raised are not just general complaints. Some of them have criminal and corruption perspectives. So, there is need for this Commission to functionally relate with other relevant Government agencies."
}