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{
    "id": 1017051,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1017051/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 164,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "in this matter. The matter has now gone to the President who will either decide to dissolve Parliament or not, because there is that lapse in the Constitution about timelines, he can choose to dillydally. If he wanted to help Parliament, for instance, he can choose to dillydally. Let us be very serious in the way we deal with this issue as a Parliament. The reason is that we will deal with the matter legally. The Chief Justice has also dealt with the matter legally. However, there is also politics. Once it has gone to the President, none of us can say with authority that they know how the President will deal with it. He can actually dissolve Parliament. Once he dissolves Parliament, you go home. I am not scared. I am willing to go home. I am willing to be elected or thrown out because it is not about me. One thing I am very sure about is that even if I am not elected, somebody from Suba North will be elected. The issue is about standing on principle. I stand on the principle of gender equality. Having said that, in my view as a lawyer, people have been talking about what kind of elections we can have. There is the general election that Hon. Duale referred to. He said we need to read. I do not want to recite all the authorities that he is talking about. There is the by-election that some Members have been talking about. Each one of them has its own consequences depending on how we choose to interpret it. This Article talks about an election sui generis which is neither a general election nor by- election. It would be an election sui generis . It is not just sui generis for purposes of our elections, but also in the world because there is no constitutional precedent from other countries with this provision. It is actually a provision that is very Kenyan. Just like Hon. Otiende who sat on the committee, I also have legislative history and know why we came up with this. Legislative history will show you why we came up with this. I sat on the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee in the 10th Parliament as the Vice-Chair. We rushed to ensure that we passed this because of this Article in the Constitution. The reason we did that is because we were concerned about Parliament failing to pass certain laws as has been the history in the country. Let us be sober. I urge that we come up with a team in this House to look at this matter from a very sober perspective. The only thing I agree with Hon. Duale is the issue of unity of purpose. This is not because I fear going back home, but because we need to be sober in the manner in which we deal with this issue. It is not a men-versus-women campaign or fight. It is an issue that is of interest to Kenyans. I know very many male Members have been calling me asking me not to support the two-thirds gender rule because I am elected. It is not about me as Millie Odhiambo. It is about a principle. That is why, for instance, we had the impasse at the Senate about revenue. The revenue impasse was about minorities and minority communities that felt left out. Those are the same challenges that women, persons with disabilities and the youth face. When we start using this kind of approach, we will cut them out forever. Let us be sober and give a working solution. I do not have a problem with the Parliamentary Service Commission going to court because it is their right. However, even as the Commission goes to court, which may buy us some time, let us also be alive to political realities and get a small team from among parliamentarians with diverse views and seek a way out."
}