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{
    "id": 325261,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/325261/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 259,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Noor",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 375,
        "legal_name": "Sophia Abdi Noor",
        "slug": "sophia-noor"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to support the Bill. In supporting the Bill, I want to bring on board the issue of registration of identity cards which is very important. It is important for us to urge Ministry that is concerned that there are many Kenyans who have not registered and, therefore, cannot vote. These people are denied their right. Every Kenyan has a right to vote and choose their leaders. So, it is important for the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons to put its house in order and start registering every Kenyan who is above 18 years old. This is particularly from the pastoralist community. The pastoralist community all over the country has not been registered. We are getting petitions from all over of people saying that they have not been registered. It will be very important for all people in this country to be registered. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must make an effort to reach out to the pastoralist community. If you go to northern Kenyan now, you will find that it is dry and people have moved from their places. The IEBC has a responsibility to reach out to every Kenyan and register them as voters. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other reason I support this Bill is that if you look at the people who have registered with the Registrar of Political Parties, you will see that there are three parties which are leading. There is ODM which has about 100,000 people, TNA with 110,000 and URP which has 100,000. Where are all the other political parties? Where are the millions of Kenyans who have not registered with the political parties? Where do they fall? This is a question that we need to ask ourselves. We know that political parties have owners. Where we come from, we do not have any political party and our people are scattered all over. Where do they register and whom do they register to? We want to give freedom to every Kenyan to choose whichever leader they want without tying their hands. There are about 400,000 Kenyans who have registered with the Registrar of Political Parties as belonging to political parties but millions of Kenyans have not registered to date, because the IEBC and the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs have not done any civic education. Nobody has done any civic education on any of our laws, and more so our Constitution. If you go round and ask people what the Constitution says, you will find that many Kenyans, particularly those in the rural areas do not understand it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support."
}