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{
    "id": 30665,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/30665/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Dr. Munyaka wanted to know whether schools and colleges will be used as registration centres. That was part of my Statement. I did say that schools and colleges will be centres of registration. He also suggested a very innovative idea that the Government considers dedicating a particular day or week for registration. As I said, we are trying to beat the deadline to ensure that the 12 million people who are eligible for registration to participate in the elections are registered. We will cross that bridge when we reach it. If we see that there is a backlog and that there is need to beat it, all efforts will be put in place to ensure that everybody is registered. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Mr. Imanyara asked about the controversy of census. I do not think that it was really a controversy. I think that was like a storm in tea cup. There is no controversy. There was just a suggestion by the Minister of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 under whose docket the census fell, that there was need for verification of results in certain areas where they had some doubts and so on. This matter has been discussed and it is still being discussed. Therefore, I do not buy the idea that there is a controversy over this matter. Mr. Imanyara also wanted to know how that repeat will affect the issuance of IDs. It will not affect the issuance of IDs because anybody who wants to obtain an ID has to provide proof that he or she is a Kenyan citizen. He will, therefore, be issued with an ID without delay. So, that also will, probably, be another way of doing verification. Dr. Eseli talked about corruption of clerks and other hon. Members also have since asked about the same question of corruption. In order not to repeat the same answer, I would like hon. Members to treat what I will say as the answer to their questions. Corruption is a vice that we are fighting in this country. Corruption has been endemic in this society because it has never been fought for a very long time. Right from Independence, it has followed us through all the various governments up to today. We are now putting, probably, the best machinery in place to help in fighting this corruption which includes reforms in the criminal justice system in the country. This will help us to have the proper tools to fight corruption in this country. Therefore, I think it is unfair for Dr. Khalwale to try to single out a Minister by saying that he is from ODM. We do not look at the Government from that perspective. All Ministers are Ministers of the Government. This is a coalition Government so it is unfair to try to blame corruption in the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons on the Minister. As I have said, it is endemic and it must be fought. However, it cannot be fought by an individual in a Ministry. About the issue of married women before and after, I would like to assure Dr Eseli that there will be no discrimination. The time when the woman was married is not a factor here. If she had been denied the right of registration in the past, this time round she will not be denied. We know that this is a very serious issue in the country because in some areas where men, probably, took women without paying dowry, there is always that fear that if a woman goes back to her parents to seek for verification or certification she might be held there, so that the parents demand for payment of unpaid dowry. It is not the fault of a woman that her husband did not pay dowry. The woman, therefore, should not be punished by denying her the right to obtain a Kenyan identity card. That is why we have said that as long as the chief or the sub-chief can vouch"
}