{"id":566574,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/566574/?format=json","text_counter":298,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. (Ms.) F.I. Ali","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13152,"legal_name":"Fatuma Ibrahim Ali","slug":"fatuma-ibrahim-ali"},"content":"Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the current arrangement of funding just two political parties, which are the heavyweights, will definitely kill growing and promising political parties. This amendment is useful because it will help us to create space for small and promising political parties to secure State funding. Some of the three major political parties were formed a few months to the elections, but because of personal investment and individual contributions which are not monitored, they have become very huge political parties, thus locking out small parties which have been growing for a number of years. In Kenya, political parties are controlled by individuals who are endowed with resources. They fund everything. They have become the lifeline for political parties. This Bill will create space for small parties to grow and compete with big parties. If the small political parties are denied public funding, the big political parties will control democracy in Kenya. That is dangerous for this country. This House has an obligation to allow political parties to grow. Currently, political parties in Netherlands are funded based on the establishment of research units and the number of youth and women organizations registered within. They focus more on increasing the participation of women, youth and minorities and not the number of members who are elected to political parties. This will ensure that the largely excluded groups are brought into the political parties. This Bill can be expanded to include such amendments so that political parties are compelled to be funded on such criteria. Corruption is high in the current political parties The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."}