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{
    "id": 655964,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/655964/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 265,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Chepkong’a",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1154,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Kiprono Chepkonga",
        "slug": "samuel-kiprono-chepkonga"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as you know, Members of Parliament are listed as State officers number 43. When we asked the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), we were told that one does not require any qualification to become a member of parliament or a senator or a member of county assembly. In fact, even if you have not gone to standard one, you still qualify to be a member of parliament. That is a very dangerous thing to say. All the Members of Parliament you see here have struggled in their education. It will defeat the purpose of having almost 60 universities in this country if a Member of Parliament did not obtain minimum educational standards. I have been lobbied a lot by Members who think they do not qualify according to this Bill. As the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, we have discussed and agreed that this House needs to express itself. Members who do not possess the minimum qualification will be allowed to participate or come to Parliament. However, there must be differences in salary. Those who will be elected to Parliament without certain minimum qualifications will earn less salary. That is how it is in any employment. I was a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). If one did not have any qualification, we made them a sweeper. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to make you a sweeper in Parliament. We will allow you to speak but you must be paid a salary commensurate to your educational standards so that we encourage people to go school. However, that is debate for this House to express itself on. In Clause 8, the Bill seeks to amend the Elections Act to require political parties to submit party nomination rules to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) six months before an election. This section further requires that an amendment of those rules have effect 90 days after notification to the Registrar of Political Parties. The clause further empowers the IEBC to issue political parties with compliance certificates. No political party will be allowed to participate in the next election if it has not submitted their nomination rules. This has been a point of contention. Most parties hide their rules. Candidates who seek to participate in elections do not know what rules they are supposed to follow. It will now be a requirement that parties file their nomination rules for a minimum of at least six months before the elections. The primaries will be held at least 60 days before the general election. It will be within that timeframe that candidates will acquaint themselves with the rules of elections. Clause 9 amends Section 28 of the Elections Act. It requires a political party to nominate a person for an election. It shall then submit a party membership list of the party to the commission. That should be at least 60 days before the date of the general election and 45 days before a by election. This is to leave a window for Members of Parliament or candidates who seek to participate in the general election but they have, for one reason or the other, been dealt 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."
}