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{
    "id": 390500,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/390500/?format=api",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, by the end of this month, all political parties are expected to submit their audited accounts to the Registrar of Political Parties. This cannot be achieved without having proper regulations, and I think this House is in agreement that we do need money, because how do you then ensure that political parties keep on engaging in activities in the counties and at the national level in order to sustain the discussion on political parties? Madam Temporary Speaker, even as we speak of cohesion and integration in this country, if the political players are not doing their role – even the drafters of Vision 2030 had seen it, because they had not only put the political pillar, but they had also put the social and economic pillars. So, when we talk of cohesion, this cannot be achieved if the political leadership of this country is not taking their role in ensuring that we are doing enough civic education. We cannot leave civic education to the Non-Governmental Organizations. I think political parties must take up their role and they must put their feet on the ground. As we agree that this devolution model is a new thing to this country, it is up to the political players, even through the political parties, to take an active role in ensuring that there is enough sensitization of what is expected to be done by the citizenry and by the political players. At the same time, Madam Temporary Speaker, there is also need – and I keep saying this – to understand that laws are made for people, not people for the laws. That is why we must not shy away from reviewing these laws. If the interpretation of the percentage or the threshold that has been put so that you qualify for this money still remains the way it is right now or the way it has been interpreted to mean – that the percentage of votes cast means that we take all votes cast for the governors, president, senators, women’s representative and Members of Parliament--- It is coming to I think about Kshs72 million; I stand to be guided. What does that mean? It means that only three parties or so in this country would be able to access that kitty. I know the Senator for Nyeri has already said that he is alone here as a NARC Member. Even if we want to control the numbers of these political parties, we must not also kill the democratic space of these parties to operate; we must also give them space for growth. Then it would mean that in the consequent elections, if you do not qualify for this money and you have to compete with these three parties that have qualified for this money, you are already at a disadvantaged point. I think we also need to be open minded. We should also allow a discussion of reviewing this interpretation of this percentage so that we can talk about the 12 million votes that were cast. It is really a matter of interpretation, and I think as leaders, we have a duty to take part in that discussion open- mindedly without really caring to say we do not want 50 parties; I think that would be a blanket condemnation. We have come a long way from having one single party and, for me, this is a success that we can have 50 parties in this country. It is definitely important that we manage the parties so that they do not also become money making machines or personal entities. We need to just put in place regulations like we do for other public entities. That way, we will be able to streamline and, at the same time, give opportunity for upcoming leadership and people who feel that what they are looking for in a political party has not been addressed by the existing political parties. I think the Elections Act, the Political Parties Act and the Constitution The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}