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{
    "id": 82090,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82090/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 311,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am a very happy man today. The debate that has taken place in this House since yesterday confirms that Kenya has moved on. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this House has seen some very sad moments in as far as the issue of corruption is concerned. The one that easily comes to mind is that of the late hon. George Moseti Anyona who carried out investigations about the procurement of the rolling stock of railways where there was massive fraud involving some companies outside the country. When Mr. Anyona was then asked to substantiate, he asked for time to come with evidence. The day that he came back to the House with evidence, he was arrested in the precincts of Parliament and was taken to detention. So that was the level at which the impunity had reached. In other words, a Member of Parliament could easily be arrested within the precincts of this House merely because he had evidence that he was coming to table in this House regarding corruption. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we want to create a culture of probity, a culture of honesty in deliverance of public service. We also want to be honest and own up if we have made mistakes. I want to say that the period before the corruption reached the level that it has reached, at its peak, immediately after independence, there were men and women who were serving this Government with honesty and diligence. A case in hand was an engineer with the Nairobi City Council. He was a European. It was found that under his watch, the City Council had lost a lot of money and that he himself was completely in the fraud and the matter was raised in this House. Rather than face the probe because of shame, this engineer went along the railway line going to Nakuru near the golf course, off Uhuru highway and he slept there and he was run over by a train. He committed suicide. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am not suggesting that those who have been involved in corruption and those who have been accused should commit suicide. That is because there are cases where people are wrongly accused of being involved in graft. We need to develop a culture of accepting that; “I am being suspected of a wrongdoing and, therefore, I am prepared to step aside so that proper investigations can be carried out to clear my name”. Therefore, I am happy that the Minister has led by example and has accepted to step aside to allow for thorough investigations. I want to say that, as the Prime Minister of this country, we are not intending to condone corruption in the Government. I want hon. Members to honestly believe that we are not just talking, but we want to act to see that there is probity within the Government. We also want to establish a good working relationship with the Legislature. Therefore, whereas Parliament has a very important role to play as a watchdog organ, this role should not be pushed to the level of a witch- hunt because if it reaches there, then we will instill fear in the public officers. The result will be inaction or lack of proper service for the country. So, we want to urge that Committees of the House have a responsibility but if it is information that they seek, there are institutions which we have within the Government which are willing to provide that information. But when it reaches a level where somebody is wrongly accused and becomes defensive, then fear is sent across the Government itself. But I want to say that if we have information, even we ourselves are willing to co-operate. If we are asked for information, we are willing to provide that information. Therefore, I want to offer this House a hand of co-operation but let us not act the role of the shylock in The Merchant ofVenice where we want a pound of flesh all the time; you must get a pound of flesh without blood."
}