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"id": 662973,
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"content": "I remember when they were seeking re-registration of political parties, one party called New FORD(K), should never have been registered because it is causing confusion. There is a party called FORD(K). There was no point of having New FORD(K). The FORD(K) party symbol is a lion. You cannot give a leopard that looks like a lion as a symbol of another party. However, more importantly, that party was given a certificate of registration when the conditions were that you have to have a minimum of 1,000 members in 24 counties yet they did not even have 1,000 members in five counties. However, because the then Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs was the promoter of that party, they were awarded a certificate. That is water under the bridge, but if we have a Registrar of Political Parties like that one and give her authority to deregister parties and distribute funds due to parties, then you can understand the concerns that we have. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we need to see the Tribunal of Political Parties strengthened so that it can assist political parties in their disputes to avoid unnecessary recourse to High Courts and other courts. We still have cases going to the High Court yet the law is very clear that the court of first instance is the Political Parties Tribunal. I hope that this will be done so that political parties can adjudicate their disputes in a proper forum. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I come to an end, political parties must have ideologies. If you go to the United Kingdom, the Labour Party has its manifestation and orientation which is very clear; pro-trade unionism left of centre, social activities and economic empowerment of people. The Conservatives are on the other end; very right wing, pro-state, each man to himself, each woman to herself and God for us all. When you come to Kenya, and pick the manifesto and constitution of the Mbus, Wiper, Tip Tip or whichever party, they are word for word identical. That means that the Registrar of Political Parties does not work. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when you file manifestos, look at manifestos of Jubilee and CORD. There is no difference. All is just about the name. If we want political parties to have meaning; if you are a communist party, you must be truly a communist party. If you are a free market economy party like the Republicans in the United States of America (USA) with Mr. Donald Trump, you must look truly different from the other. However, here political parties are for elections and once they are over, who cares what your manifesto was. That is why every time we tell Jubilee that they are fraudsters who visited every fraud on Kenyans by promising nothing they can deliver. They have delivered nothing on their promise to provide 10,000 kilometres of road, laptops, electricity and water to every home. On reduction of corruption, it has increased. The growth of the economy is shrinking. They have engaged a reverse gear on everything they promised. Every day you see them on national television giving a catalogue of imaginary successes that they have brought to the country since they came to power. The other day, at the funeral of the late hon. Soita Shitanda, I saw somebody tabulating that they have provided electricity to 70 per cent of homes in this country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you represent a rural constituency. Do even 30 per cent of homes in your constituency in Kericho County have electricity? It is not true. It is all false and fraudulent. You can say they have. Your people are watching you. It is live The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}