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{
    "id": 886037,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/886037/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I will be very brief. Allow me to congratulate Sen. Malalah for bringing this topical Statement. I would like to refute the claim that politicians have no role. We have a role to play. The number one driver of corruption is decision making at political, executive and other levels hence we do have a role to play. We are defining corruption and the fight against corruption as a criminal act and forgetting prevention. We talk about the rule of law and the application of the rule of law, what about the circumstances that enable corruption to happen? While I laud the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who are doing their jobs, we also need to do our job. As leaders, our work is to legislate, oversight, end impunity, make sure that people have access to information and to make sure that our people are empowered to a point where they can demand for accountability. During elections, who comes out as corrupt? We do bribe people and people do not vote for somebody who is not corrupt. We do have a role to play. In fact, we play a major role and the earlier we recognise this, the better. Who makes the decision in an institution? Corruption is not about an individual, it is institutionalised. Who has captured those institutions? It is the people in decision making positions, and that is us, who are sitting here. Let us not absolve ourselves from our roles. We do have a role and we are part of the rot. We have to change and talk about corruption. Corruption affects the most vulnerable people, the poorest. That is because they are the ones who depend on public goods and services more than anybody else. We all go to Nairobi Hospital but who depends on the public service in terms of health? It is the poor. Therefore, the war against corruption is not going to become tribal. It is going to be a war against the haves and the have nots. It will get to a point where they will say; ‘I do not care who you are. You are robbing from me the services that I need as a poor person because I am the one who needs the public goods and services’. Let us recognise the fact that corruption is driven by the decisions made. Therefore, we should end that impunity and should stop absolving ourselves. I support."
}