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{
    "id": 1426675,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1426675/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 377,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We are moving away from a chairman who is a know-it-all chairman, who will be deciding, making decisions on their own as we saw in the last commission where we had a lot of disgruntlements. I am supporting this amendment because, to me, it will cure some of those challenges that we have. The only missing link that was left out in the NADCO Report was about the two- thirds gender rule that has been contentious in this Republic. The two-thirds gender rule is a constitutional right. When we talk about the two-thirds gender rule, we are not talking about women. A number of us, including a very senior Senator seated next to me, Sen. (Prof.) Ojienda, a man I hold in very high esteem, talks about gender rule, as though it is about women. Everybody who thinks that way should know that the two-thirds gender rule is an affirmative action that may give women the opportunity to represent the women's agenda at this point in time. In the years to come, it may be the men who will need affirmative action. The NADCO Report left out the two-thirds gender rule. As I support the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, I am looking forward to a composed IEBC that will look at the needs of Kenyans and help us implement that constitutional requirement. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is possible by the nominating parties at the nomination level. That, their party list presented to the IEBC must meet the threshold of the Constitution. I talk about this because it is the same parties that helped to constitute the NADCO Committee that has given forth to the Bill that we are talking about its amendment today. I believe, the two-thirds gender rule can be resolved at the IEBC level once it is composed, and at nominations when the parties are presenting their lists. The parties must present lists that will meet the Constitutional threshold. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I support this amendment because it is progressive. It moves us from one point to another. I believe, with this Bill we will be able to cure a number of issues. Just recently, His Excellency the President had a delegation to the USA. A trip that was highly publicised. I saw a number of goodies that the President was able to bag from that official historic trip to the USA listed. Since we are discussing the issue of IEBC, I must mention that one of those goodies is Kshs198 million for IEBC reforms. That was good enough. Whatever you get from elsewhere is a plus, however, as a nation, we must invest more in IEBC if we want to get the desired results as a country. As IEBC is reformed in the many ways that we would like it to be reformed, all of us must take note that IEBC is some skeleton commission running elections everywhere. We must not only look at the reforms of IEBC at the national level, it also has sleeping structures at the counties. I call them sleeping structures because those are offices that only run when elections are about. We must see active offices overseeing electoral activities that are not only limited to elections but because our people need to be served in those offices. We must have vibrant IEBC offices in the constituencies. There is nothing that stops the IEBC from devolving their offices even to the ward level. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}