MPs failing this country on their oversight role

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><xml> Normal 0 21 false false false SW X-NONE X-NONE </xml><xml> </xml> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> Parliament is mandated by law to provide oversight over the Executive and other public institutions.

Sharp rise in graft cases is a pointer to an ineffective Legislature, which has failed to check the utilisation of public resources. Government and State firms are engaging in graft on a scale never seen before.

Whenever graft cases are disclosed, Parliament’s reaction has been wanting. The MPs fall back to their sponsoring political parties. In the ensuing partisan war of words between the ruling coalition and the Opposition, the real culprits escape the wheels of justice.

Why is the august House stuck in the web of petty political rivalries instead of taking the Executive to task? The Constitution attempted to cure the problem of Parliament being an appendage of the Executive. Under the law, the Executive does not sit in Parliament.

It does give MPs the autonomy to check the excesses of the State in an objective manner. Can the legislators arise and execute their constitutional mandate to ensure public resources are utilised for the good of the country.

Suggestions by Health Cabinet Secretary Cleophas Mailu that he will hire independent auditors to uncover graft in the docket is ridiculous. The office of the Auditor General is a constitutional office and has the final word on public accounts. Attempting to seek services of outsiders amounts to undermining constitutional offices.

What the CS should do is to take his officers to task. There is no other way out the graft allegations. Even buying time will not do. Kenyans deserve convincing answers to the shocking graft revelations. Time has come for public officers to own for their wrong doings.

{Bernard Amaya, via mail}

Alleged massive looting scandals such as Eurobond, Ministry of Health debacle and troubled Kenya Airways should be a wake-up call for the Government to embrace the use of data warehousing technology to curb such scenarios.

Data warehousing technology would enable ministries and agencies to consolidate and standardise their current and historical data and other crucial records, a move that would quickly help realise and avert cases of enormous embezzlement of funds in a bid to stop the runaway corruption.

The technology would candidly indicate operational data within ministries including the amount of resources allocated to them every financial year and how the money is used.

The system would also provide a traceable and reliable history that would help track cases of mismanagement. If this technology had been in use at the economically hobbled Kenya Airways, the airline would still be the pride of Africa.

{Mudega Oscar, Nairobi}

It is wrong to tarnish the name of the President in the recent graft case involving tender awards at the Ministry of Health where Sh5.2 is said to have been embezzled.

The truth revolving around the issue has not been clarified as the matter is still under investigation. Even if it is established that the President’s relatives were indeed involved in the scam, what has this got to do with the President and how would it help in the fight against the vice?

Our President is an upright person and we all need to help him in the fight against corruption if we really want to win it. It will take a joint effort to eradicate corruption.

Those dragging the name of the President in the matter should allow justice to play its role in determining the facts of the case in hand and those found responsible for the alleged irregularities should be dealt with as provided by the law.

It is not correct to allow propaganda ruin our country.