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{
"id": 1491044,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1491044/?format=api",
"text_counter": 161,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Crystal Asige",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "The reason I wish to de-cluster the six that are provided for in the two Acts I have highlighted is because, when you just have a blanket number of six to represent these three different interest groups, there is some mischief that sometimes is seen. Different parties can decide on their own how many of the six will be given to PWDs, how many of the six will be given to youth and how many of the six will be given to marginalized groups. However, my amendment seeks to de-cluster the six and expressly say that two out of the six will go to PWDs, two out of the six will go to the youth and two out of the six will go to marginalized groups. This is to remove that confusion or that gap that we see today. The party list for candidates with disabilities must also consider different categories of disabilities including physical, hearing, visual and neuro-diverse disabilities. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the reason this amendment comes in my proposal is because, we have seen historically that disability is often just seen as people with mobility impairments. Maybe, a wheelchair user for example, because the international symbol for PWDs is a wheelchair. That is a symbol that we all see and know that identifies with disabilities. However, when we just focus on wheelchair users, for example, or those with physical impairments, we forget that our counties need representation of other diverse disabilities. There are hundreds of disabilities and I believe that with the amendment that I am seeking and by expressly saying that there has to be diverse disabilities that are represented in the counties, this will hopefully remedy when it comes to the time of nominations in within the parties. I would love to wake up one day to a country that is proud to embrace diversity, its governance systems and its leadership. I want to live to see a person of short stature as an MCA and that be normalized or MPs from the deaf community and that is normalized. Perhaps, a governor with autism and that becomes the norm. Perhaps, one day even a visually impaired president, a VIP, which may sound far- fetched but 2024, if anything, has shown us that nothing is impossible in this country. The IEBC will select from candidates with disabilities to ensure that at least 5 percent of the members of a county assembly are PWDs in my Bill proposal and following the order provided by the party. Mr. Speaker, Sir, also Clause 3 seeks to amend Section 7 of the County Government's Act to provide that members of the county assembly contemplated under article 177 of our Constitution, shall comprise a man and a woman nominated to represent the youth; and a man and a woman nominated to represent marginalized groups and 5 percent of the total number of members in the assembly to represent the youth and marginalized groups and comply with the two-thirds gender principle nominated to represent PWDs. I repeat that 5 per cent of the County Assembly as envisaged in the Constitution should be PWDs at the local level in these amendments that I propose. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Clause 3 further seeks that nominees of the 5 per cent of PWDs shall ensure representation of the various categories of disability. Again, physical, hearing, visual, and neuro-diverse disabilities to ensure that the face of our county assemblies replicates or mirrors the face of Kenya, because we are not homogeneous in 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."
}