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{
    "id": 719013,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/719013/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ng’etich",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 511,
        "legal_name": "Cecilia Chelangat Ngetich",
        "slug": "cecilia-chelangat-ngetich"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this important Motion moved by Hon. Jude Njomo on Persuasive Voter Registration. Much as it is for posterity, I want to support it because as they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. Therefore, we can as well be planning for the future at this very moment. Secondly, the Motion also gives us the opportunity to actually do that persuasion. We can persuade our people to go on to register as voters because we have actually noted the voter apathy across the country. Yes, indeed, voting is a human right. It is also one’s choice. That is why this Motion is talking about persuasion other than forceful or mandatory registration. That is why I was a bit worried when one member mentioned here that everyone should be made to vote or else they be taken to jail. I was a bit worried because it would really amount to violating one’s right. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to urge all eligible voters who have not registered as voters to go and register before the exercise closes down on 14th February 2017. Of course, the culture of Kenyans is that they wait up to the last minute, but because IEBC has already expressed the fact that the exercise needs to be closed for the register to be cleaned up and checked, I believe there will be no extension of that period. So, I urge particularly the residents of South Rift to register as voters. That is because the reports on the percentage targets indicate that, that area and especially Kericho County, is doing a bit poorly. One reason why Kericho is doing a bit poorly is because last year in February, when the campaign was on, there was a by-election and many people did not register because they had decided to temporarily halt that registration to allow for the by-election. I do not know why the exercise did not resume or why the exercise is not ongoing. It should not be only during election time."
}