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{
    "id": 99386,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/99386/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Midiwo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 184,
        "legal_name": "Washington Jakoyo Midiwo",
        "slug": "jakoyo-midiwo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to second the adoption of the Akiwumi Report. I want to thank the Vice Chairman of the Commission for stating in detail what is in this Report. I was the first witness of the Akiwumi Tribunal and I am glad that most of the suggestions I made are also the recommendations of over 500 Kenyans in recognizing that a lot of those things which are said about MPs are untruths and in recognizing that MPs were getting battered so much for non-payment of taxes. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to say that because of that, the impression about the remuneration of the MPs in the minds of majority of Kenyans is that which is created by people who do not even care to tell Kenyans the truth. I want to thank the Commission for appointing this independent Tribunal by a respectable Kenyan; hon. Justice Akiwumi. I want to say that in 2008, immediately following the violent period that we had, we changed the law to create the position of the Prime Minister, his two deputies and until today, the Government or Parliament has not been bold enough to pay them a salary or even to recommend what the salary of a Prime Minister is. I want to thank these brave Kenyans for doing it for us. I want to say that this thing was due yesterday and we want to thank the Commission for realizing that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have heard that in 2003, 2004 or thereabouts, we lost the Vice President in office and the Government paid his family out of goodwill. The country has no way to remunerate a Vice President. The immediate former Vice President, “Uncle” Moody is now living out of goodwill. We cannot afford to have public servants begging after serving this nation. I think it is below our dignity; it is undeserving to our public servants, and I think we have to face it, bite the bullet and do something. I was informed that even the Ministry where hon. Ojode serves is just courteous enough to give Uncle Moody security, just out of favor as if or as though he does not deserve it after public service. We must end that era. A few years ago, I know that Prof. Saitoti was summarily dismissed as the Vice President and security was withdrawn through the 01.00 o’clock news as if it was not his right to have it. With the recommendations of Akiwumi, those will be things of the past. I want to plead with this House that as we debate this report, let us support it and recognize that if Kalonzo Musyoka was to retire today, he would have no retirement benefits. One year and-a-half later, the Prime Minister will have no salary; the Deputy Prime Ministers have no properly structured way of being remunerated. We cannot live like that as a country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to second."
}