Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1527522,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1527522/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 278,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "people felt that the appointment of the commissioners was not free or impartial and that the people who were picked were not going to preside over free and fair elections. However, you will find politicians pleading, “Your Excellency, we want you to appoint for us so-and-so in IEBC,” yet the law has given that task to an independent panel. We are sending the wrong message to Kenyans. Kenyans will have it in their heads that one of the players in the political contest is the one appointing the commissioners. We should conduct public participation and inform Kenyans that we have commissioners in office and that they are given an opportunity to interview candidates without any interference. Then, allow the best candidate from any of the 47 ethnic tribes to be the chair of IEBC and the other commissioners. Then, run an election that will not invite another 2007 situation in our country. So, I hope the board proposed in this Bill will take the assignment seriously and appoint the managing trustee of the National Museums of Kenya freely, without any form of interference from anybody. That is how we will create a country that respects the rule of law, where power is distributed, and where the concept of a limited Constitution is entrenched. You know the concept of a limited constitution, that power is spread and shared by many institutions. Even where you have a president, his powers are limited by what is in the Constitution or statutes. If the power to appoint has been given to a panel, the President has no authority. If the power to appoint has been given to the Public Service Commission, let them assert their independence. Madam Temporary Speaker, I sat on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission as a chair of the board. I interviewed the executive director and four assistants without any phone calls or anybody attempting to interfere with that assignment. Even if you said no, what would happen? Nobody would kill you because you are doing a job that has been given to you by the Constitution and by our statutes. As a way of also having a good heritage as a country let us have this spread of power to Presidents, Cabinet Secretaries, interview panels, independent commissions, so that everybody can have a sense of belonging to this beautiful country called Kenya. I support this, Bill. I hope that once it is enacted it will go a long way in ensuring that we as Kenyans can again be proud of our heritage and culture so that when I go to West Pokot, I will find people of the County still proud of their culture and heritage. The same goes for me as Omogusi, for you as a Kikuyu, same to my sister here from Kajiado County. With those many remarks, I support."
}