Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 82543,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82543/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 366,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Otieno",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Public Works",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish, first, to thank this Committee for a very good effort. This demonstrates the commitment of Parliament to hold the Executive accountable. However, all these efforts were without adequate expert help. As we deal firmly with corruption and impunity in this country, we must always remember that we have the image of the country to protect. We also have the image of the public service to protect. We also have the image of our leaders and officers in the Government to protect. The newspapers have been awash with all sorts of stories; one saying that we lost Kshs1.1 billion and another headline said that we lost Kshs2.5 billion. This gives an impression that things were so wrong in Tokyo that the whole Government actually is corrupt. Mr. Speaker, Sir, honestly, I do not subscribe to the proposal that we should, on whatever grounds, ask Ministers and public officers to step aside before there is credible evidence to charge them in court because when they come back, the damage is increased to the Government. The damage now is that there was official cover up. That is why hon. Kimunya came back. That is why hon. Mwiraria came back and that is why my five Permanent Secretaries came back. There is greater damage in the eyes of foreigners when you send them packing on flimsy reasoning and then they come back when KACC has no evidence. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Committee consulted a lawyer, Mr. Akijima; a lawyer that actually lost the business where he had expected to get---"
}