Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 974398,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/974398/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 285,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "It goes without question that corruption has totally destabilized this nation. People have acquired wealth through unprocedural and unethical manner that is not inconformity with the set out standards of how a public or State officer should behave in a given manner. Therefore, the Bill comes at an opportune moment for us to consolidate all the pieces of legislation that have been put into force in order to fight corruption. One area that this Bill addresses is the manner and style in which this lifestyle audit should be carried out. It should be carried out with clear objectivity and not witch- hunt. That is the most important element that we need to spell out. When this Bill eventually becomes an Act of Parliament, whoever is handling it and using it to execute its mandate should have a certain level of objectivity so that we understand what it entails. The second critical element is the confidentiality of information that they may be privy to. Sometimes, we tend to interfere or wade into personal issues of an individual that may not fall within the purview of prosecution. Therefore, that level of confidentiality is critical in helping to sieve what is relevant to the case and what is not. There are other existing standards under other written law. For example, I have cited the other pieces of legislations which have set out the standards upon which the lifestyle audit should be carried out. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have seen people entering into a public officer and rising meteorically to a level which cannot explain where their wealth has come from. If you apply the normal standards of wealth acquisition, you cannot pin your hand on whether the wealth has been created through legitimate functions. Therefore, this Bill will put a stop to ambitious wealth catching elements that want to use public coffers to enrich themselves and manipulate the social lifestyles of our societies. It is an important element that we must safeguard because people with money can manipulate any system. They can manipulate our economic order because they want to accumulate more and more money. Therefore, it is important that we stop them at their tracks before they manipulate the whole society and everything goes up in smoke. This Bill safeguards the rights and privileges of the people of Kenya. This is because they have given us a mandate to act on their behalf and we must be accountable to them. It is that element of accountability that this lifestyle audit is bringing to focus. If you are given a public office or you are in a public position, then you must be accountable. I have seen an element here which is rather interesting. I will expect to hear more comments from the learned friends or senior counsel who are in the Bench on the deferred prosecution agreements. We would like them to shed more light on how the deferred prosecution agreements would work in the interest of the wider society of Kenya. Is it another way of shutting what would have been an element that would have been properly prosecuted in court and then deferred to a level where there private agreements that are being reached at the very expense of the very public that we are trying to protect? I would like to hear more on this area of deferred prosecution. How will it function within the law? There is a provision that the Chair will be a person of the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}