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{
    "id": 896016,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/896016/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 202,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Godfrey Osotsi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13172,
        "legal_name": "Godfrey Osotsi",
        "slug": "godfrey-osotsi"
    },
    "content": "amendment which is amending Recommendation No. 1. This is a very important amendment because it is talking about expediting the strengthening of IEBC, the legal framework and the general policies and guidelines on management of elections. I think this is overdue. This is an important amendment that we should all support because we want to see a situation whereby we have an IEBC that is independent and accountable to the people. Most importantly is the suggestion on how we need to improve Section 11(a) of the IEBC Act so that we have a clear separation of functions between the commissioners and the secretariat. Looking through the Report, you get a feeling that this is one of the major challenges at IEBC. Most importantly, this amendment also seeks to tell us that we need to go back to Kriegler’s Report and see what has not been implemented. We spent a lot of time and resources to come up with Kriegler’s Report but over 60 per cent of it has not implemented. Probably, that would be the solution to our electoral problems in this country. Coming back to the other amendments, I want to say that this company called IDEMIA has changed names severally. It used to be called Morpho and then SAFRAN until 2017 when it merged with another company to become OT Morpho on 31st May 2017. If you look at the timing of the change of name, it was at the time when this country was preparing to go into the general elections and then immediately after elections on 28th September 2018, the company changed the name to become IDEMIA. This amendment we are making today is very important. The Companies Act is very clear and I want to read to the House. Section 74(3) is very clear that if a foreign company carries on business in Kenya in contravention of sub-section (1), the company and each officer of the company who in default commits an offence, on conviction are each liable to a fine not exceeding Kshs5 million. This is in law. This company has committed an offence and as a country, we need to take action against it. Most importantly, this company has severally changed its name because of credibility issues wherever they have been. They have technical credibility issues. Even in this country, this is the company that claimed that they could not access data because the servers were “asleep”. This is the company that interfered with the transmission of results. As earlier designed, the system was to transmit text results simultaneously with the graphical results but the system was adjusted to allow transmission of results in a text form only and many other things. If the server audit report was to be released today, we would not be talking about this company called IDEMIA because they did funny things on that server. It is important that we are recommending that something has to be done. From the IT perspective, I think we need a more focused inquiry into this company. This is because this same company has been awarded the tender to implement the NIIMS that all our key leaders, including the President, are supporting. The person who is doing this job is one with credibility issues. Today, if this House passes this amendment, we will have an issue because the same company is conducting a very important national project that will bring progress to this country. What are we going to do about it? Though we are a bit late in taking action against this IDEMIA, I think it is important. The history of this country will judge us harshly if we do not take action. With those few remarks, I support the amendment."
}