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{
    "id": 1426679,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1426679/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 381,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13591,
        "legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
        "slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
    },
    "content": "We now have two persons nominated by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Three persons nominated by the political party liaison, and so on. It is only two members nominated by the Inter-religious Council of Kenya. So, we have reduced the number of members to be nominated by the religious organizations to only two from the previous five. Then we now have the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) which is an important institution. I support the fact that now at least it can give us one person in the selection panel. Members have already submitted here that there is a need to relook at the PSC giving us two people, and even for the political parties liaison. Issues have been raised about whether they are credible enough to be able to do that. I think this conversation is important. Having been the Chairperson of JLARC and passed a law that is in the current Act of the IEBC, and now being in this House, again seeing the departure, I think, it is a good move so that we do not have many members of the selection panel from religious organizations because they were five out of the seven. I have also seen an increase in the number from seven to nine. Again, I think it is also a plus because it is widening the scope of the institutions that are going to appoint these members of the selection panel. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other progressive issue about this is, if you look at part three of that particular Clause, the Bill says the respective nominating bodies shall select nominees for appointment through a competitive and transparent process. It is okay to have members of the selection panel. I support this proposed amendment on the process of identifying the members of the selection panel. In terms of their capacity, expertise, exposure, and knowledge we have a selection panel of members who are not just picked from anywhere. This is not in the current law, which we passed when I was in the National Assembly. We must have a process. I believe there will be some advertisements; members will apply and be given the required qualifications. This is a progressive proposal. I am saying this because, as the chairperson of the Justice Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee (JLARC), you took us through these matters, and we discussed them. First Schedule- \"(2C) In nominating, the persons under subparagraph (2)(a), (b) and (e), the respective nominating bodies shall ensure that not more than two-thirds of the nominees are of the same gender.\" This proposal ensures that we are progressive and that the membership does not have a gender problem. Gender parity has been a big problem in the country. The Constitution is clear. However, we have failed to achieve the threshold. These provisions will help us achieve the two-thirds gender rule in our institutions of governance as we work on the bigger dimension of the issue. I support the proposals regarding the selection panel. This is progressive. I hope that the institutions that will nominate members to the selection panel follow the law so that we have good members to serve on the selection panel. A good selection panel will give us good commissioners of the IEBC. 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."
}