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{
    "id": 928115,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/928115/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 272,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Isiolo North, KPP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Hassan Hulufo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13348,
        "legal_name": "Hassan Oda Hulufo",
        "slug": "hassan-oda-hulufo-2"
    },
    "content": "of nine commissioners. That is what has helped the three commissioners who were left to run the IEBC and carry out administrative duties. They have expressed their constraints in terms of looking at policy issues. However, at the time we had the four commissioners resigning – we are Kenyans and we have to be frank with ourselves – most of those resignations were triggered politically to cripple the IEBC. Before the handshake, if we are true to ourselves, we are aware that our own Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs had been asking those commissioners whether truly, they were able to execute their mandates and whether it was prudent for them to consider resigning so that the IEBC Commission could be reconstituted. We are living in this kind of situation. There have not been election results that have not been contested from the time we started multiparty politics in the year 1992. We all desire an IEBC that is going to be fair, impartial and independent. Personally, even though I am supporting this proposed amendment Bill, I am not comfortable with the suggestion on the composition of the selection panel. We are all aware that the current IEBC commissioners were selected during a difficult time when there was a lot of tension in the country. The religious agencies nominated some panelists that helped us to inject some aspects of trust in the electoral process. Therefore, suggesting that we limit the number of slots for the faith- based agencies from the current five to two is something that I am not comfortable with. I am sure that, probably, we shall have an opportunity to debate that at a later stage of this Bill. If we trust religious agencies during national crisis, there is no reason why we should water down their participation in the selection of future IEBC Commissioners. You never know! Even though there is no tension today – and thanks to His Excellency the President and the Rt. Hon. Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga for the handshake that has stabilised the country - we never know what the future portends. Therefore, we cannot imagine that because there is no crisis, we can water down the role of the religious agencies. I am comfortable with how we used to nominate the selection panels previously. The other thing that has not been factored in the old Act and which we need to support is the aspect of timelines in terms of how the nominating bodies can submit their nominees and the timeframes within which the vacancies in the IEBC Commission can be filled. I would like to particularly thank the three sitting commissioners for staying put. It is the courage of the IEBC Chairperson, Chebukati and Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu that has helped us to avoid crisis. You can imagine where we can be if one of them decides to resign today or – God forbid – if anything happens to one of them and we have less than three commissioners. I particularly want to pray for them so that, until we find a solution to this potential crisis, God keeps them well. I, therefore, want to support this amendment Bill. On the issues that I am not comfortable with, we shall try to see how best we can have them amended at a later stage. Thank you."
}