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{
    "id": 945129,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/945129/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 197,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Baringo North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. William Cheptumo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 50,
        "legal_name": "William Cheptumo Kipkiror",
        "slug": "william-kipkiror"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to start by thanking my learned colleague the Chair of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) for the wonderful job he has done. The truth of the matter is that this House has laboured for a long time on how to fulfil the provisions of Article 81 of the Constitution. Several Bills have been brought before the House, but they have been defeated by the same House because they did not receive support. The route now taken by the Committee is, in my view, the solution to the challenge that the country faces. I am aware that there is already a court order directing the Chief Justice to write to the President that this House has not been able to pass the law as required under this Constitution. I think we will run out of that problem because if you look at Article 81 of the Constitution, that is, Part 1 in Chapter Seven, it deals with general principles of the electoral system. Article 81(b) says: “Not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender.” However, you realise the same Article does not provide for a way out of that situation. Article 100 says Parliament shall enact legislation to promote the representation in Parliament of… You now read the four sets of groups, that is, women, persons with disabilities, youth, ethnic and other minorities and marginalised communities. This is now where I would want to submit and say that it is this House that is mandated to enact a law that can fulfill what is being stipulated by Article 81 of the Constitution. The Bill before the House today is, indeed, the law that is going to enable this country and this House to achieve the provisions of Article 81(b). If you look at the various proposals in this Bill, you will see that it is amending seven statutes. If you look at those proposed amendments, they actually tend to achieve the same goal that we are addressing in the House. It is my appeal to all of us in this House that this is our time. The new Constitution came to force in 2010, that is, in the 10th Parliament. I was in the 11th Parliament. We were not able to pass this law. Now we are in the 12th Parliament. I want the12th Parliament to be counted as the House that was able to achieve this particular provision of passing a law that is going to implement Article 81 of the Constitution. I heard Hon. Otiende talking about the fact that IEBC cannot be given additional responsibility of determining the nature of list. If you look at the clause of this Bill referred to by Hon. Otiende… If I am not wrong, it is Clause 17(a). It is important for Members to note this because it is very important. It says: The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}