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{
    "id": 1097804,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1097804/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 108,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Shamalla Jennifer",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13169,
        "legal_name": "Jeniffer Shamala",
        "slug": "jeniffer-shamala"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As I was saying, I rise to second the Report of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs on the approvals for appointment of the four candidates to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The four candidates that I will not name because they have already been named demonstrated excellent combined extensive experience in law, public administration and management. One of the crucial things that came out during the approval hearings was the concern about spoilt votes. In a country which has an average of over 83 per cent literacy rate, this, indeed, is a deep concern especially because one of the mandates of the IEBC is to conduct civic education. The question I would pose as a legislature and on behalf of Kenyans is: Why is there such a high percentage of spoilt votes? Is it due to lack of civic education? Is it due to illiteracy? It cannot be illiteracy. Could there be a possibility that it is deliberately done and may perhaps be a way of rigging? I do not have answers to that but I hope that in the event that this House approves these nominees, then they will provide these answers before the next general elections. They demonstrated that they were patriots. A question of resignations of IEBC commissioners at very crucial times came up. As a country, we have experienced that kind of a scenario. They all assured us that they are aware that there are some situations where people may want to resign but for them, they are patriots and they will never leave the country and the people of Kenya in the kind of lurch that we saw in 2017. They assured us that they were ready to withstand the pressure of elections and see it through until the announcement of the results. 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."
}