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{
    "id": 816819,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/816819/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 27,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, before we go to Order No.7, I had indicated that I would give Communication No.35 of 2018 on the investigatory mandate of House Committees and conduct of Members in Committees. Hon. Members, you will recall that on Tuesday, 12th June 2018, the Member for Igembe North Constituency, Hon. Maoka Maore, stood on a point of order pursuant to Standing Order No.83, and sought the guidance of the Speaker on the scope of investigatory functions of the committees of the House. In particular, the Hon. Member invited the Speaker to pronounce himself on whether the power to investigate, as enshrined in our Standing Orders, contemplates the Committees of the House undertaking parallel investigations of matters under investigation by investigative agencies of the State such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In his submission, the Member for Igembe North was concerned that Committees of this august House are in his words: “of late seemingly engaged in chasing newspaper headlines”. This means that the committees may be reactively basing the subject of their inquiries on media reports rather than proactive work plans or reports of specialised offices such as that of the Auditor-General, the Controller of Budget and other offices established by law, and which submit statutory reports to the National Assembly, especially with regard to cases of alleged misuse of public funds. Further, Hon. Maoka Maore was concerned that audit Committees were seemingly deviating from their mandates of considering reports by the Auditor-General and instead undertaking preliminary inquiries which fall within the purview of the Office of the Auditor- General. He sought direction from the Speaker on whether the undertaking of parallel investigations by the House committees amount to duplication, noting that the end results of investigations by the committee would be recommendations that the relevant investigatory agencies proceed to investigate the same matters."
}