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{
    "id": 49554,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/49554/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 468,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Keynan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. The other bit that I find unacceptable is the Bill making reference to the use of appropriate technologies and approaches. Which are these appropriate technologies and approaches that we are not being told? The Minister should be clear in this thing. Which are these appropriate technologies and methodologies? He should describe them. He should tell us that they will use this so that a person like me who represents a rural constituency where there is limited communication, knows whether this technology will be suitable to the majority of Kenyans who live in the rural areas. Otherwise, making a sweeping statement like “appropriate technologies and approaches” in my opinion, will be taking us back. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, again, the Bill is silent on the component or the very essence of the Kenyan society; that Kenya is a country of regions and diverse interests. This aspect must be captured. If you can recall, last year when we first attempted to come up with a draft Constitution - when we were talking about five or three commissioners - I challenged everybody that we must take into account the aspect that every region is represented in key national institutions. This is because psychological satisfaction is a very important component in human life. That again is anchored in the Constitution. On the issue of Commissioners, we are talking about an entity that will manage a very important exercise. If we go back to what made us quarrel in 2007, we will find that it was because the then Commissioners failed to meet the expectations of the people of Kenya. This is simply because they were either manipulated, so naive or did not know what they were doing. When we propose that we will have Commissioners who are part- time, what you are saying is that I will have the right to send, as a Commissioner, my employee. The first loyalty of that Commissioner will be to the employer. That, in my opinion, is scandalous, illogical and does not make sense. These Commissioners must be allowed to work full time. We are talking about the board of directors. At the end of the day, we must pay heavily because these are people that we want to be independent, fair, and judicious and at all times, to remain patriotic. After the Second World War, there was the issue of nationalism and patriotism, but today we have biological nationalism and vested interests on trivialities. We also have negative ethnicity. All these can be controlled if we have an effective and working legislation. For us to achieve this, we must have a truly Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. If we can create that and allow the people of Kenya to appreciate this aspect, we will have a free and fair 2012 general election. If we get the start wrong, I can assure you – because the human mind works in a very funny way – that we will not have a free and fair election. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to plead again with the Minister that managing an election is a very difficult thing. That is the reality even in the developed countries. But we must attempt as a regional hub and very important nation in the map of Africa, to be the first country in Africa and, indeed, in the globe to---"
}