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{
    "id": 977544,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/977544/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 302,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "These two bodies need to work together. The EACC is comprised of people who have the ability to investigate and determine whether certain cases are strong enough to withstand in a court of law. We must, therefore, find a legal framework that ensures that where the EACC has a clear case, it should make recommendations for prosecution, and then the matters die at the DPP. We have a lot of confidence in the DPP, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the EACC, but it must result into convictions. The CPAIC has already tabled about 60 reports before this House. In this Session, the focus must be on implementation of the recommendations of Senate on the Auditor- General’s report. It is sad that even as we speak about anti-corruption, it is six months since the Auditor-General left office. To date, we do not have an Auditor-General in place. The Auditor-General is an important gate keeper, and is the one who tells us whether there is value for money or whether public funds are being utilized properly. There seems to be a conspiracy of silence. When there was a delay in appointing the Controller of Budget, the governors almost went on rampage because the Controller of Budget gives them access to their cash. However, when there is a delay in the appointment of an Auditor-General, no one is speaking. Parliament should be loud in demanding that this impasse on the appointment of an Auditor-General be brought to a close. This is because the Auditor-General, in many jurisdictions, is an agent of Parliament. The Executive will not push for it. Perhaps the Executive is even happy that Mr. Omtatah has gone to court to challenge the process. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I conclude, I hope that Sen. (Dr.) Mwaura, who attended this conference in Hong Kong, will help us strengthen what we already have. Sometimes it is not for want of laws, but more of will and implementation. Finally, Madam Temporary Speaker, I also note that this meeting happened in May, 2019 which is about eight months ago. Sometimes when there are recommendations or resolutions coming out of those conferences that come to Parliament nine months later, they might be overtaken by events. We probably need to rethink on how we report back to this House when we go for international conferences. My view has been that we could borrow something from our neighbours in Uganda. We do not always have to use them as a bad example; we can pick some few best practices from them. Whenever they go for international conferences, when they come back, the leader of delegation reports back to the House through a Statement, but they then table the report before the House. That allows the matter to be processed far more expeditiously. When you look at the reports that are on the Order Paper, you realize that many of them are reports that ought to have been dealt with in the last Session. Madam Temporary Speaker, I support the Motion. I want to encourage Sen. (Dr.) Mwaura, who is the Vice Chairperson of the Africa Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC), and who represents the Senate alongside Hon. Shakeel Shabbir of the Speaker of the National Assembly, to strengthen this institution so that it can be the voice of Parliament on matters to do with corruption. I beg to support."
}