{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137676","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137674","results":[{"id":1393161,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393161/?format=json","text_counter":330,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Rangwe, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Lilian Gogo","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you very much Hon. Temporary Speaker and grandson of Asumbi. I rise to second the Report of the Public Investments Committee on Energy and Commercial Affairs. I thank my Hon. Chairman for being very elaborate and intentional in presenting it to the extent that it is very clear. Allow me to mention that audit committees are generally not punitive. We do not undertake audits to punish anybody. We want our institutions that are audited thereof to adopt best practices according to what has been put down for them, so that they can account for public funds and public resources but even better still, we deliver the best for this nation. With that in mind, the Report has general recommendations that have been made by the Committee. It was observed that there were general poor accounting standards and incapacity of some accounting officers in the specific organisations that were reviewed. To that extent, due advice was given so that they can adopt best practices. It was also noted that there was a long-time span of pending pertinent matters. We found audit issues that were pending from as far back as 2013. The Committee endeavoured to make sure that most of such matters are resolved. Where there was need to submit documentary evidence to support the audit queries, there were less submissions of such. Another important observation the Committee seriously pursued is the unsecured and un-titled land holdings for those particular organisations. We realised that those particular organisations hold land in trust for the public. Therefore, this is public land. However, the Committee observed that there is laxity to secure title deeds for those particular state corporations for the land they hold in trust for the public. It is important to note that the Committee has been extremely firm in discharging its mandate so that what is due to the public is rightfully used. Besides, if there is money that has been generated for the interest of the public, because this is the Public Investment Committee on Energy and Commercial Affairs, the Committee has been firm that the money has to be properly accounted for. If there is also money that has been obtained from whatever source, it must be well accounted for and properly used. As we deliver this Report to the House, I thank the Committee because it has been committed to its work. Members of the audit committees, especially this Committee, sit for many hours looking at the audit queries and generating reports. I thank my Chairperson for bringing up the issue on the EPRA substantive Managing Director. It was a public concern that he irregularly got into office. From the Report, it is good that we give people a chance. Sometimes, insinuations are created so that particular individuals can occupy those offices because of their ethnicity. As it were, the Committee dug for the right information to prove that the Managing Director was legally in office. This matter was cleared. He is rightfully in office with eight years of experience in a similar position."},{"id":1393162,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393162/?format=json","text_counter":331,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Rangwe, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Lilian Gogo","speaker":null,"content":"The country was facing a serious crisis at the time EPPRA appeared before the Committee. One Member insisted that the Managing Director should tell Kenyans if there would be any reduction or stagnation in the cost of fuel. At some point, the Managing Director was pushed to the wall to respond to Kenyans. He promised to work towards a good report that would lead to a reduction in the cost of fuel. If you have been living in Kenya like me, you may be aware that in the recent past, there have been no alarming reports on the increment in the cost of fuel."},{"id":1393163,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393163/?format=json","text_counter":332,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Rangwe, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Lilian Gogo","speaker":null,"content":"Hon. Temporary Speaker, this Committee is committed to serving Kenyans and examining adherence to constitutional provisions so that Kenyans can get value for their money The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"},{"id":1393164,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393164/?format=json","text_counter":333,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Rangwe, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Lilian Gogo","speaker":null,"content":"by ensuring that those institutions do not lose money, but also generate money out of goodwill. I hope the management of those institutions are listening to those parliamentary proceedings. It is important that public land is secured and ownership indicated. Public land should not be grabbed by greedy Kenyans. With those remarks, I second."},{"id":1393165,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393165/?format=json","text_counter":334,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" Hon. (Dr.) Lilian Gogo, you seem to be in a hurry."},{"id":1393166,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393166/?format=json","text_counter":335,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Rangwe, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr.) Lilian Gogo","speaker":null,"content":" I am sorry. Are we sitting up to 9.00 p.m.?"},{"id":1393167,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393167/?format=json","text_counter":336,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" I just wanted to assure you that you still had 10 more minutes but I am grateful you have seconded. So, let me propose the Question."},{"id":1393168,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393168/?format=json","text_counter":337,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Question proposed)"},{"id":1393169,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393169/?format=json","text_counter":338,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":"Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal."},{"id":1393170,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393170/?format=json","text_counter":339,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Seme, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I rise to support this Report. I would like to start by congratulating the Committee for the good work they have done. Particularly, for the clear way they have presented it. They have made it possible for us to discuss the matter. The Public Investments Committee (PIC) is important because it looks into what the public is investing in - institutions that we put our money into hoping to get returns. I appreciate how they have gone through the legal process and the processes they use. I will just make very brief comments. One, on the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, it is true that this has been lying in between - whether it is a department or an agency on its own with its own board. I appreciate that they have actually found out that the people in the Board of the Central Bank of Kenya, are the same ones in the Board of Kenya School of Monetary Studies thereby, earning twice for doing the same job. I support their recommendations that this be made a department of the Central Bank of Kenya. Even if we make it a department, as a school of monetary studies, it trains people in finance. It is therefore important that they find out whether it only trains the staff of the Central Bank of Kenya. It is my view that this institution can train staff from other Government agencies, so that we can strengthen the financial management across the Government. This is because the Report says that they found weak auditing procedures and so on in other institutions. If we use this institution to do that, I think it will improve the financial management within the Government. I know the institution well. It is a big institution. I, therefore, do not see why it cannot be used to train private individuals who would want to get competence in financial management and finance in general. If they do that, they can raise funds. The institution may not need money from the Central Bank of Kenya for it to be operational. With that alone, it can raise enough Appropriations-in-Aid (A-in-A) to run on its own. I support that idea. I also support the recommendation on the issue of the East African Portland Cement. The Chairperson has said that the Government, in some parts of the industry, should actually own institutions that produce either services or goods that are in public demand and central in our development. Cement is key in our growth. We are now talking of affordable houses. The biggest product there is cement. If you leave the private sector on its own, they will form a cartel. Even if you put regulatory measures, the private sector will always form an association or something and create a cartel. It is, therefore, important to have a Government institution that produces the same product. Such institution can set the standards and hence stabilize the prices. If it is efficient, it can produce enough and stabilize the prices. It only needs a lot of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"}]}