Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1480944,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1480944/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 177,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Joe Nyutu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Looking at offences by members and staff of the Commission, especially Section 6(a) where we will make a law so that nobody makes an entry which they have enough reason to believe that it is not true. This is something very important because when cheating or stealing in an election happens, it is done by altering the figures. For instance, you will find that somebody has 21 votes in a particular polling station, but then a rogue IEBC official or officer adds a zero, making it 210. If that is done repeatedly in several other polling stations, then of course they alter the overall result of an election and that is why this should be supported. Madam Temporary Speaker we have assisted voters. Even in this House, when a Senator fails to cast their vote electronically, of course we jokingly call them assisted voters. These are voters going to the polling stations, who might not know how to read or write. Therefore, they are assisted by the officers of IEBC. This is another avenue through which stealing of votes occurs. For instance, you as the officer or the staff that is mandated with the responsibility of guiding such an assisted voter; you then guide them to mark in the spaces that are not those of their preferred candidate whom they came to vote for. We also have a problem in this country and it is not just about elections. It is about people faking disability and that is why I am excited about Section 6(c) that when you do not have reasonable cause to believe that somebody is visually impaired or has a disability; if you allow them to vote in a way that is only specified for people living with such disability, then they will be held accountable for that. This is something that we should discourage as a society. Nobody prefers living with a disability. When somebody pretends to be a person living with disability in order for them to gain some advantage or favour, then such a person and anyone assisting them should face the law. That is what progressive societies do. Madam Temporary Speaker, there was one election where the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga went to Kibera Polling Station to cast his vote and a presiding officer told him that he did not appear in the register of voters. I can see that Sen. Beth Syengo has raised her antenna. I may not remember which election it was. This caused a lot of panic and tension. It was not reasonable to do that because such an officer ought to have known. I am referring to Clause 6(d) which states that if an officer willfully prevents any person from voting at a polling station where such a person is entitled to vote, action should be taken against them. Such an officer should have known that the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga was registered in that polling station regardless of what the register said. We are amending this law to make officers use reasonable judgement because everybody has their brains. Madam Temporary Speaker, when an election that is very close, two or three votes could mean a lot. That is why Clause 6(e) and (f) should be supported. That where somebody refuses to count any ballot paper or count a vote they are not supposed to, then action should be taken against them. This is because even one vote can make a difference. In conclusion, no officer should be allowed to omit anything in breach of their official duty. Everybody should do their duty. That is why people are paid salaries. 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."
}