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{
    "id": 690570,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/690570/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 158,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Tobiko",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1663,
        "legal_name": "Peris Pesi Tobiko",
        "slug": "peris-pesi-tobiko"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support this Bill. As the earlier speakers have said, the offences and criminal acts that have been mentioned here are not necessarily new, but now they have all been put under one law. Particularly, when it comes to the electioneering period and party primaries, women have borne the brunt of election violence. I am also happy because this Bill gives details of how to deal with violence during the election period. There are many other offences that have been mentioned in this Bill. I want to agree with Hon. Ochieng that we do not lack good laws in this country. The challenge has always been the implementing agencies. Either there has not been goodwill to implement those laws or we have deliberately decided to shove off the laws and operate as if we are in a jungle during the electioneering period. Not long ago, there was a question of vacation of office by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners. There is a procedure in law of removing them from office, but the other side of the divide went to the streets causing mayhem that left some Kenyans dead, just so they could push their wishes through. I am not sure, that even if we amalgamate those laws into one, or if we come up with a good piece of legislation, we will stop Kenyans from operating with impunity. I am not certain that there is goodwill by various political leaderships and the IEBC to implement these laws. This Bill states that there shall be no use of public resources during the electioneering period. This is to ensure that we do not have undue advantage over the other aspirants. We should pass this Bill. This Bill, however, has major concerns. We should not keep saying this is a negotiated document and yet, there are flaws that need to be addressed. We will not be doing any justice as a House. Some of these issues will come back to haunt us. Some penalties that are proposed in this Bill are excessive. When somebody is charged Kshs1 million or a jail term of about three years, then that raises concern about those two Bills that need to be addressed. I want to call upon the House to rise up to the occasion and make sure that we do not pass laws that will not be implemented. I support this Bill. After going through those two election Bills, I am yet to come across very specific---"
}