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{
    "id": 1049272,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1049272/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 292,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Florence Mutua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 539,
        "legal_name": "Florence Mwikali Mutua",
        "slug": "florence-mwikali-mutua"
    },
    "content": "women instead of spreading the nominees to other counties that fared badly and had no woman candidate elected. After elections, parties may lose strong people who they perceive may be useful in either of the Houses, hence they may give the parties a chance to nominate strong nominees who, for institutional memory, may be required to continue pushing the party agenda in Parliament or at the county assemblies. A good example is that in 2013, we lost Hon. Charity Ngilu, Hon. Kamar, Hon. Wavinya Ndeti and Hon. Martha Karua. In 2017, we lost Hon. Shebesh, Hon. Kajuju, Hon. Chepkonga, Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo, among a few other notable strong Members. If the political parties had the option of nominating top-up Members after the elections, a few of those Members would have been nominated to either House, for continuity of the party agenda, among other reasons. This is also one of the major reasons why I have also requested, through the Speaker, for an amendment to Article 92(a) of the Constitution in order to align it with the proposed amendment to Section 35 of the Elections Act. Lastly, the right candidates are soberly elected when emotions are down, more so those who rightly stood with party matters and activities to the end. Overall, it is important that the laws of Kenya be regularly reviewed to address challenges and concerns of the day. Regular audits of the laws of Kenya are necessary to ensure that they address live issues of concern to the people. Following the experiences and challenges faced by political parties’ nomination of candidates to the legislature in the last two general elections, there is need to consider those amendments to address the challenges highlighted above. The amendment to Section 35 of the Elections Act, however, also calls for an amendment to Article 92(a) of the Constitution which provides that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) shall ensure that each political party participating in a general election nominates and submits a list of all the persons who would stand elected, if the party were to be entitled to all seats under Clause 1. The manner in which Article 92(a) of the Constitution is drafted appears that nominations are to be undertaken prior to elections being undertaken and this, therefore, also calls for an amendment to Article 92(a) of the Constitution in order to align it with the proposed amendment to Section 35 of the Elections Act. The Speaker had approved my request to amend Article 92(a) of the Constitution, so that it can align with the proposed Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2018, for them to both be in tandem. I request Hon. Mishi Mboko to speak on this matter further."
}