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{
    "id": 932711,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/932711/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 393,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "culpability, they must recommend that other agencies of Government must take up and investigate the matter if there was criminal conduct on the part of accounting officers, so that we can have proper accountability in our management of public affairs. I say this because corruption has eaten away this country. In the old days and even in the last Parliament, public accounts management and reports coming here were taken very seriously. If you look at this, we have accounts of about 15 counties. How many of us are here? I do not know if some of us have spoken to this before. A misappropriation of funds in Tharaka Nithi County is as offensive to the Senator for Bungoma County as it is to the Senator for Tharaka Nithi County because we are all custodians of public good. We need to have a very concerted effort. More importantly, a way must be found. Today, we had the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget. He has come up with a very innovative way of dealing with some of the errant counties. He is seeking Parliamentary authority under Article 225 to freeze disbursement of funds to counties that are continuously flouting rules of public finance management including but not limited to payment of bills of suppliers of goods and services and other things. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to extend that application to the management of accounts. Unfortunately, we are looking at accounts of people who have since left office. You cannot now start punishing a new regime for the sins of the previous one even if there is perpetual succession. I would want to see a way in which the CPAIC under the management of Sen. M Kajwang’ or his successor in title at whatever time, to do their best and keep abreast with the financial years so that by now we should be debating the accounts and audits of the Financial Year 2018/2019 because we are now in the Financial Year 2019/20. If we are tackling accounts of the FY2015/16, then we are just tapping wrongdoers on the wrist and telling them to move. Some have already moved on. Although I know the workload is very heavy, looking at what they have done on Bungoma, the conclusions and the statements made are very casual and feeble. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want to see that where tax payers’ money has not been accounted for, protected or out-rightly misappropriated, to be an issue we must deal with firmly. We should show the resolve of this House as the last oversight House after the county assemblies. We are capable of doing what we are enjoined to do by the Constitution including, but not limited to, inviting in criminal investigative agencies to deal with situations as they arise. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support the report."
}