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{
    "id": 328551,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/328551/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 254,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 148,
        "legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
        "slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
    },
    "content": "I wish to thank the Members because only yesterday we dealt with the regulations on voter registration. I particularly must thank the Committee led by my good friend, hon. Amina Abdalla, for going beyond the extra mile to ensure that these rules are properly done. Going by the quality of the rules of yesterday, I want to thank the Members for the value that they added to the rules, particularly with regard to the issue of Diaspora voters. Today, I wish to now invite the Members to look at the draft elections regulations as well as the voter education regulations. I tabled these rules on 8th and I believe the Members have had ample time to go through them. Under Section 109, they are mere drafts for consideration and approval by this House. Once the House approves, these are going to be the regulations that will guide a very critical historical process that will be the first general election under the new Constitution. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there has been uproar about the issue of the nomination fees. I want to thank the Committee for proposing changes to these nomination fees that have been set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Before these proposals were made, it was required that there should have been adequate public participation to ensure that the public has an input in what eventually become the regulations. The high figures that had been issued by the IEBC caused the public outcry across the country, particularly from the youth and women candidates who are disadvantaged and wish to also participate in the historic general elections that are coming. I hope the Members have gone through the regulations to see that there are proposals to ensure that democracy is not too expensive as to be beyond the reach of ordinary Kenyans, particularly those Kenyans who have been on the periphery of our democratic process, namely the youth and the women of Kenya. I will be inviting the Members, just like we did yesterday, to have their input through the amendments that they are proposing. Already, we have received quite a number of proposals. So we do not wish to take too much time in going through the regulations because the Members have already gone through them. However, we look forward to improving the regulations through the amendments, as we did yesterday. The issue of voter education is very urgent. We want Kenyans to be properly prepared in terms of voter and civic education, so that they can make informed choices. This is going to be very important as we pass these regulations to facilitate the process of elections. By the timetable that is prepared by the IEBC, we will be starting the exercise of voter registration on 1st November. The Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) equipment has already started arriving in the country. We believe that we are well on course to ensure that the elections are carried out within the timelines given. It will be necessary, after the registration of voters, to have proper voter education. We will be asking the Members, as we go on recess, to engage in a preparation of our citizens for them to know that these elections will not be the normal election that we have been having every year voting only three people. We will, for the first time, be voting for about six different candidates and we will be required to prepare them well. With those few remarks, I wish to urge the Members to approve these draft regulations. They are mere drafts for the Members’ consideration and approval. If there may be approval of this House, they will become the regulations that we will use in the historic election. I will be inviting my good friend, hon. Amina Abdalla to second. I beg to move."
}