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{
    "id": 268087,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/268087/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 476,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Obure",
    "speaker_title": "41 Wednesday, 29th February, 2012(P) The Minister for Public Works",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 118,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
        "slug": "christopher-obure"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to make a few remarks on this Motion. Issues to do with delimitation of constituencies and wards are of grave importance because they touch on representation of people, issues of governance and on matters to do with the well-being of the citizens. These issues are of a political nature and can be very emotive. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we must take very seriously discussions relating to these issues. We must be prepared at all times to give full energies and attention to matters of this nature. The approach of the Members of the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs has been extremely casual, in my view. This committee has done a shoddy job. This Committee has been arbitrary in its decisions. If you look at the minutes of the Committee you will see that they have not even told us what issues they were discussing. They have not even told us the basis on which their decisions were taken. This so called corrigenda; we do not know whether it was done by one man or by the Committee. It is very difficult to say how these decisions were reached. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Committee has not bothered at all to respond to the various issues raised by wananchi. Therefore, the hopes of wananchi have been shattered because they have not been given justice by this Committee. From my own constituency, delegations of leaders travelled all the way to Nairobi to submit their memoranda. Indeed, memoranda were received in this Parliament. They did so because they felt that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had ignored their views. Therefore, they expected to get justice from this Committee. They, however, have been inflicted with additional pain. Several petitions were made by members of my own constituency. One of those contained a petition signed by 4,000 people; aggrieved Kenyans who appended their signatures, identities and contacts. The memoranda they presented were raising fundamental questions relating to possible violations of the provisions of the Constitution, in particular Article 89(5) and (6) which sets out the population threshold which must be observed in curving out constituencies and wards. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in this Report there is absolutely no reference, mention or acknowledgment whatsoever of those issues that were raised by members of my constituency. Is it by default or by design that the Committee has not made reference to these submissions? Is it possible for the Committee members to have travelled all the way to Mombasa at the expense of the taxpayer and not deliberated on petitions made to it? These are serious matters. The only option is to reject this Committee---"
}