Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 760051,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/760051/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 142,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "One of the things that this House must do is to stand firm and show direction. It is not unique in the history of legislation that legislators have had to stand firm even at times when divisions have threatened to divide them in the execution of their duties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I laud my colleagues in the Jubilee coalition who have decided that, even though there are campaigns out there to malign our names and portray us as self-seekers, we know that what we are pursuing, after all is said and done, will be judged correctly for what it is. It is an act of sacrifice to ensure that this country can find its way forward irrespective of the ridicule, abuses and humiliation that sometimes we have to suffer. I say to my colleagues; Aluta continua. We must make sure that we forge on and deliver to this country a way forward by ensuring that we have passed laws that will help us conduct elections and thus show Kenyans the way forward. As I had earlier said, I had the privilege, courtesy of my colleagues in this House, to sit in the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on Election Laws. I listened to the views of Kenyans and also had time to peruse through the issues that required amendments in this Bill. I will single out two issues: First, is on the issue of having a Chairperson in the IEBC, who as provided for in law can have a deputy or a Vice- chairperson and also legislation that cushions that; that in the absence of the two, there will still be continuity in the execution of the work of IEBC. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I remember during the public hearings, we had the opportunity to listen to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC). During their presentation, their chairperson was very vocal. One of the proposals that they opposed vehemently was this provision on the Chairperson. One of our colleagues; Sen. Sakaja, asked the Chairperson one question but she did not offer an answer. The question was: As well-meaning as the KNHRC is, when Kenyans go to elections on 26th October, 2017; that day when the whole country will be expectant that there will be a pronouncement on the election outcome, suppose the IEBC Chairman resigns, what will happen? The KNHRC Chairperson could not answer that question. She had to own up and apologise. She said: “I had not contemplated this in that context” Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important that at this time, when national duty calls; that we stand up and make sure that we provide what should be provided. I support that proposition. It was not provided for in the previous Election Laws Act with the assumption that the IEBC Chairperson will always be available to execute the IEBC business. If time allows, let me touch on my second last point on the issue of quorum. It was a subject of misinformation to Kenyans. Every Kenyan who appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on Election Laws during the public hearings, their word was that we are making the quorum threshold so low to allow the IEBC to propagate business below acceptable levels in comparison to the levels allowed in corporate governance. Mr. Speaker, Sir, from the provisions herein, nothing can be further from the truth. The IEBC as constituted now has seven commissioners. As the Leader of Majority had said, legally, the IEBC can have as few as three commissioners to be legitimately composed. This provision provides - subject to the requirement that the quorum of IEBC must at all times be 50 per cent of all the existing members - that by inference, all the time a meeting is called and the quorum met, there will be four commissioners sitting."
}