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{
    "id": 1209697,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1209697/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 167,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Oburu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 194,
        "legal_name": "Oburu Ngona Odinga",
        "slug": "oburu-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity. The Bill that is before us is a very important one. It is an important one because we are a young democracy and are maturing or rather want to mature into a mature democracy. We do not want our standards of democracy to be compared with our neighbours and the other countries in Africa. We want our democracy to be the best and be compared with the best in the world. Therefore, when we talk about the IEBC, it is a very crucial tool in the election process and we must not be partisan. Some people have mentioned that when you make laws, sometimes you do so thinking that you are on the better side of the divide and will, therefore, always be there. Things change and you might be on the receiving end where you thought you would never be. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we make laws, let it be for posterity, Kenyans and improvement of our democratic process in this country. On this particular Bill, I would like to support what will come in the afternoon, which is attached to this Order Paper as an amendment proposed by the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights. I would like to comment on the inclusion of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Public Service Commission (PSC) is part of the Executive, and the Executive is also represented here by the Majority side. There is no reason that one slot should go to the Public Service Commission (PSC). I would suggest that it goes to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), where there is only one slot so that one slot will go to the Majority and the other goes to the Minority, so that it is balanced the way it has been balanced for the Political Parties Liaison Committee. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also have liked the religious groups who are proposed to have two slots to have at least one from the Christian community and the other from the other communities, which is Muslim or others. I believe it should be specifically Muslim and Christian. That should be specified in the Bill. I do not want to say more. However, I would have liked a situation where this particular Bill is discussed in the Senate in a bi-partisan manner, where we do not take partisan positions. We should consider everything presented here before us objectively and for posterity. With those few remarks, I would like to support the Bill."
}