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"id": 48639,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/48639/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Nyagah",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Co-operative Development and Marketing",
"speaker": {
"id": 269,
"legal_name": "Joseph Nthiga Nyagah",
"slug": "joseph-nyagah"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me also join my colleagues who have supported this very important Bill. It is important because it brings to order some of the problems that we have faced in the past. A vague ECK in the past; not only in 2007, but in previous periods, has caused this nation problems and chaos which led eventually to the very unfortunate incidents of December, 2007 and the chaos that we as a nation faced. Let me also thank the Minister for a job well done under very difficult circumstances in a very political environment. It is not easy to navigate this kind of document through a political process such as the one that we currently have. So, thank you, Mr. Minister for the work you are doing for this country. Kenyans are blaming this House, the Cabinet and the political elite of which we are the best known members of that class. They are blaming us and telling us that in August last year, they approved a new Constitution. They authorized us to proceed and conclude its implementation. They even approved a timetable of how to present this. We, as Cabinet, Parliament, all of us have failed in meeting those targets that Kenyans had hoped to be met, so that our new Kenya can take off. This Bill is part of close to 50 or so that need to be passed by this House so that we can make progress. Lastly, as I recall, there was a huge debate about one kilometre and one person representation. That debate, to me, was very healthy because it set the ground rules. Although at the time, it looked not right and we all argued highly emotionally and very strongly about what we believed, I think it was important for that debate to take place at that particular time. So, the result of that produced what we call the Ligale Report. It accommodated a major part of the elements of that particular debate that took place at the time. I would like to thank the Minister for including that in the new Bill that there is continuity and reference material that will be used in doing the future work of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will incorporate a lot of that material as reference material. That is as it should be because we do not have to reinvent the wheel. We already did a lot in the last two years when Ligale and his team went round. Yes, there were controversies, but it is good reference material as a way forward in order to speed up the process of what we, as a country, need to do in achieving and concluding this very important issue that we face. We all know the experience of the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). We know what happened. We know the vague law that was used. It often caused confusion between the commissioners and the secretariat. In our good old days, the commissioners became very powerful. I, personally, like this professional secretariat. I like the way the commissioners have been proposed. Obviously, they should be more experienced. There is a bigger range of what one needs to have before becoming a commissioner. However, I like the concept of non-executive. In all the other commissions that we are creating, the concept of a very powerful board of governors or board of directors appear to be the way we are moving forward. We are creating a very powerful team of commissioners and board of governors. That happens all the time in our parastatals and companies. So, that is why I support this concept of non- executive. I know some support executive but I support the non-executive nature, where they have a role similar to a board of directors. We are not ignoring them. We need their wisdom and experience. But they must leave the procurement, printing of papers and things that must be left to a professional secretariat. Even in this Parliament, we have the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) but it leaves the Clerk to manage the day to day activities of this Parliament. He is supervised very closely by a very able team of PSC. So, yes, we need a powerful team of commissioners. Yes, they must be qualified."
}