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{
    "id": 669996,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/669996/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 180,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "The other thing I want to say is that I hope we will bring some sanity on the issue of the nomination process, especially for the Members of County Assemblies (MCAs). One of the challenges we faced the last time and which people have complained about is that there was a lot of nepotism on nominations, especially of MCAs. I want to encourage that going forward, we should make sure that the nomination process is transparent and involves women who have gone through an elective process or have been very actively involved in the party. Personally, I prefer women who have vied and failed or who have tried because those are the people who have interest. However, we nominate people who until when they were nominated, were totally disinterested in politics. We are told women are under-performing, but it is because you brought people who were not interested. It is very sad that this has been suggested elsewhere; that there are people who rent-seek from some nominated members. It is actually a fact, which Hon. Jakoyo was saying. I have even been told of a case of a Senator, which is shameful. I heard that he was put in the Senate, but somebody else earns his salary. That is because we have put a system that is not transparent and ethical. So, we must make sure that we put a process that ensures that a person who is nominated for whatever position is interested in that position. The other issue of concern to me is the provision on the public service and the requirement that public servants must leave their seats one year before the elections. For me, it may not be a bad thing, but I think it is discriminatory. If public servants leave at nine months, let everybody else who wants to vie resign from their jobs and leave at those nine months to show the level of seriousness. We are saying that those in the public service may have undue advantage. But people get undue advantage over any other job you may have, so long as you are still in service for whatever reason. You will unduly influence the public. I am happy with the reduction of numbers in the polling stations. From my experience as a woman who went through elections, one of the things I have observed is that when people want you to fail, they will ensure that most polling stations where there are many women, especially in the urban centres, will have extremely long queues. Women have multiple roles of nurturing and caring. They get tired. They have to get back home. So, you lose a lot of voters. Some of us, our primary vote base is the women. So, by reducing that base, you are supporting the women to support us. So, I support the Bill, but with amendments."
}