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{
    "id": 762686,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/762686/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 1181,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Mbarire",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 78,
        "legal_name": "Cecily Mutitu Mbarire",
        "slug": "cecily-mbarire"
    },
    "content": "Court (ICC), the Deputy President acted as the President in his absence. I, therefore, see no reason why anyone would have a problem with such an important amendment. There is also the whole issue of quorum. When we were passing the IEBC (Amendment) Act, remember the former IEBC had nine members and the quorum was five, about half of that number. However, when we reduced the number of Commissioners to seven, we still kept our quorum to five, which was wrong. We should have revised that quorum downwards. I am completely in support of us moving the quorum to four and at any one time, the members present who can vote and agree on critical issues of the meeting can be three so that the work of the Commission does not get impeded by either the absence of certain members of the Commission. The other crucial issue that has been at the mouth of every Kenyan since the Supreme Court ruling was that Kenyans went and voted and all was done manually until the transmission of results became electronic. This is when they were told results transmitted could not be verified hence nullification of the results. In order to listen to that voice of Sheila Githaiga from Tetu, we must then ensure there is a complementary mechanism of ensuring that electoral results are relayed to the National Tallying Centre without delay and with certainty. Therefore, I support the amendment that will allow that even when technology fails, and even when it does not, we must ensure that the forms from the polling stations are actually verified at the constituency tallying centre. Also, those from the constituency tallying centre are physically delivered to the National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya so that in future, we have no questions about technology failing or not failing or the right form getting there or not. We have a fall-back position because, at the end of the day, whatever mechanism we use, we must make sure it protects the voters’ voice at the polling station. I am in support of the amendment that stipulates that any returning officer or presiding officer who knowingly changes what is on the forms, refuses to sign, to stamp or use the form that has a watermark vis-à-vis one that does not have, surely, if they do so knowingly, they must be held accountable. I agree with the recommendation that they must get not less than five years imprisonment for that because they have brought Kenya to where it is today. As I end, there is no doubt that the Opposition is not keen on going into elections. However, I hope that reason would prevail as far as IEBC is concerned. Earlier this year - in April to be specific - we passed the Elections Regulations in this same House. Regulations 52 and 53 state that if one candidate withdraws, the IEBC will declare the candidate who is left as the winner of that election. Today, we have Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah who was elected unopposed. By the time of nominations by IEBC, he was the only candidate for Kikuyu Constituency. He is here with us today. In the year 2014, Hon. Moses Kuria prepared for election but 11 days to the polling day, his only opponent withdrew and he was declared the winner. I hope IEBC will not be cowed by the Opposition and that it will do the right thing. I hope they will stay true to what it is that we passed in this House earlier this year. We are looking forward to having no elections. We hope we will be going to Kasarani Stadium to swear the single and the only presidential candidate who is Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and who we know had won anyway. With those many remarks, I support."
}