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{
    "id": 334508,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/334508/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 363,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Yinda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 154,
        "legal_name": "Edwin Ochieng Yinda",
        "slug": "edwin-yinda"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would also like to add my voice to support the amendment to this Bill. I want to start by supporting the issue of allowing young people who have already applied for identity cards to register and vote using waiting cards. I think the effort of every young person in Kenya to apply for an identity card is already good enough to show that they have the interest. According to our Constitution, it is the responsibility of the Government of Kenya to issue identity cards to all adults or those who have reached the age of 18. We know that the Government has failed miserably in this aspect. However, as the elections approach, we know that many young people would like to participate in this exercise but they will be denied that right just because their identity cards have not been released. On driving licences, after one has gone through a driving school and passed the tests, he or she is issued with an interim driving licence. That person uses the interim driving licence until he or she is issued with the original licence. In this regard, I do not see the reason why we cannot allow those with waiting cards to be registered as voters and use their waiting cards to vote in the coming General Election. On the issue of party cards and the Registrar of Political Parties, the problem that we have now and what most Members do not realize is that, at the moment, most people are thinking that they are members of specific political parties. However, if they go to the Registrar of Political Parties, they will probably find that they are registered in totally different parties. This is something we have identified in my constituency where all our supporters are ODM members but when we went to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, we found that nearly half of them are also registered in other political parties. We are trying to sort out this but it is not possible with the remaining time. So, as it stands, most of our Members, including Members of Parliament are not even members of the parties that they think they are in. This will create a lot of litigation when people find out that they have been proposed by members of a party who are not registered in the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. I, therefore, strongly request members of this House to support the amendments because this is for the good of the coming elections. Later on, we can move with the Constitution the way we want but at the moment, we are not ready to accept the positions the way they are. With those few remarks, I support both amendments."
}