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{
"id": 208785,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/208785/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wako",
"speaker_title": "The Attorney-General",
"speaker": {
"id": 208,
"legal_name": "Sylvester Wakoli Bifwoli",
"slug": "wakoli-bifwoli"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to second this very important Bill, which is constitutional. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Bill is important. It is in the enactment of this Bill that this august House will be discharging its constitutional responsibility. The rest is only to discharge. As has been stated under Section 42(4), the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) has to review the number of constituencies, boundaries and so on, every eight to ten years. That has to be done and it is due. As hon. Members know, the ECK has done just that. Mr. Speaker, Sir, fortunately, Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the letter that was addressed to all hon. Members by the ECK on 30th July, 2007, the ECK was very, very clear about the increase in the number of constituencies. It told hon. Members that ECK, on its part, had exhaustively studied the statistics relating to parliamentary representation in the country and combined that with views from fellow Kenyans. It had concluded that parliamentary representation in certain constituencies was unequitable and deserved not only urgent attention - and here I emphasize - but immediate action in order to correct the inequalities. So, here, the ECK, after discharging its constitutional responsibility conferred on it under Section 44, has reviewed the number and boundaries of constituencies and is telling this House that urgent and immediate action is required in order to take deep-effect that review. Therefore, having reached the maximum of 210 constituencies, this Bill is to give effect to the review that has been undertaken by ECK and, therefore, we will be failing in our constitutional responsibilities if we do not enact this Bill to give effect to the review August 15, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3233 that has been undertaken by ECK. The ECK is saying that, that is immediate and urgent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is immediate and urgent because, as the ECK, itself, has stated, this Bill should have been passed in November, 2006. They, then, said that it must be passed by the deadline of July 31st, 2007. Therefore, even more forcefully, it is necessary that this Bill should be passed now in the discharge of the constitutional mandate that this House has under our Constitution."
}