Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 329138,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/329138/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 394,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "education kicked off on 1st October, 2012. There was an elaborate function at KICC where all members of the Commission, Members of this House, Members of the Cabinet and the international community attended. We set out a programme to ensure that thorough voter education will be given. Regarding the issue of who will participate in this voter education, it is part of the rules that we are dealing with now to ensure eligibility and look at educational standards, impartiality in the exercise and so on. So, we are asking hon. Members to put in place the necessary legal framework. Mr. Langat has asked about the issue of malfunctioning of this system as did his friend from Wajir South, Mr. Sirat. As we have said, already this equipment has been tested and the purpose of testing was to see how it works. In the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed between the Government of Kenya and the Government of Canada, there are guarantees given by the Government of Canada. Due diligence was done and we believe that the equipment that is already being received, or will be delivered from Canada, will be functional and will satisfy our specifications and requirements. All this will be under the guarantee of the Government of Canada. We believe that it will come with the necessary back-up and technical expertise to ensure that it is functional. We believe that it is equipment that has been supplied to other countries, and it is working. We want to assure Kenyans that it has been tested before and it is a system that will cure our past ills, including having dead people registering or voting. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to inform Mr. Sirat that we have been voting, and when you enter the polling booth one to six minutes has been reasonable period. When we were doing it manually, we used to take long but with electronic voting, and the fact that you will not have to carry your voter’s card--- You would walk into a polling station, give it to a clerk who would use a ruler to cross out your name; that used to take long. Now you will not have to carry a voter’s card. You will just thumb print and immediately you are identified you will cast your vote. The only thing that will take time is the casting of six votes. This is where voter education is going to be crucial. We are going to be asking hon. Members to help the IEBC and all those players who will be involved. The estimated time of six minutes is really on the conservative side. It could be done faster than that and it is doable. As all the polling stations have been identified, Dr. Khalwale asked what the Kshs4 billion will be used for. The reasoning of the Government was that the money could go towards increasing the polling stations or ensuring that the process is carried out effectively. We believe that if a specific Question is put, we will be able to give you the details on how the Government intends to apply that funding. We believe that with the increase of polling stations, we will be able to hasten the process of casting our ballots. This is one of the areas that we are looking at. Regarding the issue of identity cards, the Minister dealt with it. We believe that it is a matter of concern. This is a matter that has come up in the Cabinet severally. This is a matter that has caused the Government to allocate more resources to the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons. It is also a matter that we would like Mr. Kajwang to come and deal with substantively before this House, because it is a matter of concern; even if we succeed in registering many Kenyans. In the past we have left out young Kenyans who have never voted before and who have been looking for the opportunity to participate in the historic election for the first time in their lives. To me,"
}