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    "id": 944875,
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    "content": "reservations as to why we need to enact this Bill. I really appreciate the very passionate contributions that have been made by Members from across the board. Women Members of Parliament were very clear and passionate about this Bill. I want to confirm to this House and to the Members who have contributed that we have noted all the ideas they have put forth. They are on the HANSARD. When we retreat for public participation, we will certainly include them in the amendments that will come. I also know that Members will have an opportunity to introduce amendments during the Committee of the whole House. At the outset, it is important to reiterate what the Speaker said and what a number of Members have said. There are those who had gone to court to try and get Parliament dissolved for the reason that we had not fulfilled the requirements of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. It is important that those people pay attention to what is expected of us, as Parliament, and to the requirements of the Constitution under the Fifth Schedule. It is important for them to note that the 12th Parliament, building on what the 10th and 11th Parliaments did, is actually aiding the implementation of the Constitution by pursuing the legislative agenda that has been set out in the Fifth Schedule. Once we comply with Article 100, we can comfortably say that what was expected of Parliament has now been done 100 per cent. The aspect of implementation of the Constitution in terms of doing what is expected and delivering services to Kenyans, as provided in the Constitution, is the phase in which we are. Implementation is the most crucial phase as compared to just enacting the law. There is the issue of implementing the laws that have been passed by Parliament. That is the phase in which we are. The CIOC is now in the process of establishing how much of it we have done. The 12th, 11th and 10th Parliaments tried to amend the law so that it could fulfil the requirements of Article 81(b). The attempts were not bad, but it was clear that it was not achievable. We did not achieve with the three Parliaments. It is not a requirement of the Constitution, but I think we are being imaginative. We were trying to do what was not possible. However, this Bill seeks to comply with Articles 81(b) and 27, which carry the aspiration of the Constitution in terms of the two-third gender rule and other minorities, marginalised and special interest groups as defined in Article 100. It helps address those principles. I hope when we come to the Third Reading, we will be able to include the amendments so that we can carry it through. I do not intend to go through all the suggestions that have been made by the honourable Members of this House, but I think it is important to pay attention to the definitions as contained in Article 260 of the Constitution and as guided by the Speaker yesterday. We would want to have a clearer definition of the largest party. We would want to see why in our drafting we addressed the issue of county assemblies. That is another issue that was raised. It is provided for in Clauses 10 and 17 of the Bill. I think it is important we pay attention to that and see how we can address it. There is quite a bit of concern on the requirements for a party to qualify for funding. We had proposed that it requires five Members of Parliament, one governor, 12 MCAs. But I want to mention to Members that if they had gone through the Report of the Committee, that is one of the areas that we have already proposed for amendments. So, instead of saying that you qualify"
}