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{
    "id": 57297,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/57297/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 388,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion. I want to thank Mr. Affey for bringing this timely Motion. This is something that affects every single part of this country. We have several young people who have not been able to receive their identification. We know that the ID is a very important document in this country in relation to access of resources and services. It is now a right under Article 12 (2) of the Constitution. It is a fundamental right. I know there are people who would argue that because it is in Chapter 3, it does not fall within the Bill of Rights in Chapter 4. However, you can see that it is a right that can only be limited under Article 24 of the Bill of Rights. It means that all the provisions under that chapter are fundamental rights. Because of that, one of the things that the Government must now understand and appreciate is that we did not pass the Constitution for merely cosmetic purposes. We passed the Constitution to get us from a wrong and negative past to a more progressive future. A progressive future is one where we do not have Kenyans being criminalized for not having IDs when it is the Government which has not given them that identification. It is also a present and a future where people can access services because of identification. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, under Article 6(3) of the Constitution, it is provided that any national State organ shall ensure reasonable access to its services to all parts of the country. Therefore, in every single part of this country, there must be a nearest centre that gives identification cards. This issue of centralizing the issuance of IDs in places where people cannot reach and having in place provisions that make people not get IDs is not in order. In fact, IDs should be availed at absolutely no cost. Kenyans should have IDs at absolutely no cost. I know a lot of young people who have not been able to get recruited to the police and the Army because they do not have IDs. We know that now there is a cut-off age and yet there are people who have been waiting for IDs for more than three years. In the process of waiting for their IDs they have passed that age limit. We are being discriminatory to those people. I spoke about IDPs earlier today. One of the things that we gathered from the ground is that a lot of the IDPs are not able to get food and the money rations because they do not have IDs. When we spoke to the Nyanza Provincial Commissioner, he said that millions of shillings were returned. Even though they had the list of names, many of the people did not have IDs. We know that a lot of the youths cannot access jobs because of lack of IDs. Because of that, as a matter of urgency and priority, we must make sure that we avail the IDs within six months. We know that voting is a constitutional right. If we do not give"
}