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{
    "id": 267005,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/267005/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 339,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kiunjuri",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Public Works",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 175,
        "legal_name": "Festus Mwangi Kiunjuri",
        "slug": "mwangi-kiunjuri"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, it should be noted that the deadline is today. For those who are advancing that what we are doing here is unconstitutional, they must be looked at carefully, to make sure that they are not buying time so that we continue with the debate in the afternoon and by the end of the day, if we do not conclude on anything, then the IEBC will go with its work without the recommendation of this House. It will be mischievous and it is not good for the House. My second point is that we should not only read the law the way we want to interpret it. At the end of the day, if you look at the number of wards this country has, it is applying the same formula, 89/6 the ceiling is 30 per cent up and down. So, if we decide to get the ceiling downwards we can even have 3,000 wards. If we want to apply even the constituencies, it is only that the constituencies are already sealed by the Constitution at 290. But if you want to create according to the 134 given for every constituency, we can create even more. So that argument cannot be valid. We cannot interfere with the constituency because the law is already clear. On the issue of whether we are in line with the Constitution, Article 89 (6) is very clear. I will read it, once again. It states as follows:- “The number of inhabitants of a constituency or ward may be greater than or less than the population quota by a margin of not less than or more than- (a) forty per cent for cities and sparsely populated areas and (b) thirty per cent for the other areas.” I want to inform the House that if you look at the report of the IEBC and look, for example, at Igwamiti Ward in Laikipia West with 69,000 voters, already the IEBC is contravening the law. If you look at the formula given of 30 per cent for the others, even if you take on the sparsely populated quota of 40 plus or minus, that ward is unconstitutional. Therefore, let us look at this side both ways and also we must not give out the role of Parliament. Parliament is supposed to legislate and nobody can take that role away from it. Thank you."
}