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{
    "id": 670082,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/670082/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Lentoimaga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2756,
        "legal_name": "Alois Musa Lentoimaga",
        "slug": "alois-musa-lentoimaga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you so much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I want to support this Bill. I think it is important to support it because over the years, we have seen violence generated in this country because of elections. In 2007, there was serious violence which locked down our country. Tension was very high. In every election, tension is high and violence can erupt. Good electoral laws may stop this kind of violence. The laws can help people to know what methods they can use in voting. Bad electoral laws also shun people from voting. People lose faith in voting. A number of times, Kenyans in some areas ask why they vote and yet they know people decide who they want elected in advance. We have no good electoral laws that can help us to have interest in voting. Those who want to vie for seats also stay away from vying because they know the laws are not being used transparently to ensure the favourites of the electorate are elected. The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill is important in our forthcoming elections. We need to borrow from countries that have done very well in elections. We should find out the laws they use. We must consult and benchmark very highly, so that we do not again put this country in a quagmire. We should not have tension and violence during elections. It is worse during party nominations. All parties do not have capacity to conduct elections. So, in my view, we need to have a system in the coming years. A commission which is accepted by all the parties should conduct nominations. That is where the problem starts. People are denied certificates. In fact, the rich are the only ones who can carry out nominations. I remember in 2007, candidates were carrying ballot boxes during party nominations. Each candidate transported clerks, voter registers and ballot papers. Everybody wanted to get the best out of what was going on. 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."
}