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{
    "id": 960332,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/960332/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 143,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader (",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Sen. Murkomen): Mr. Speaker Sir, I am not averse to the procedure being proposed by Sen. Orengo. I am also not averse to the fact that a decision can be made to defeat the Bill. I have no problem with that because it will be the decision of this House. It is not like it must pass by all means. I hope Sen. Orengo and Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. can listen to me on this. The only reason the proposal for postponement is neither here nor there is because this is a constitutional amendment. We cannot amend anything. If Members say we postpone, so that they can read it, make up their minds and determine whether they want to make a contribution; it must first go on record that this Bill has been in public domain for eight months. This is because the Constitution says six months but it has gone beyond that. I think it is eight or nine months since we first published this Bill. We should, of course have had enough time to read the Bill. I have no problem if we can postpone it so that people can read it. Secondly, in my personal submission to the House, I said that it is not a must that it should be passed. It is not a Government or a party Bill; it is Murkomen’s initiative to try to foresee a situation where this issue will be coming to us in a year or so and we have absolutely no role to play. I am saying so with utmost respect to the independence of IEBC which has in the past been challenged by so many people in this House who said that they did not have faith in the IEBC. If this House, in its wisdom, ultimately says it has a 100 percent faith in IEBC to make the determination of constituencies---. It will be a lie to say that IEBC has exclusive responsibility of all boundaries. According to Article 189, it is Parliament, by two-thirds majority who determine boundaries of counties. It is only that in terms of constituencies and wards, it was given to the IEBC without recourse to Parliament. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if this House says it has the faith, belief and confidence in IEBC, I will gladly live with that decision. This is because I will have made an attempt to provide a solution so that when we sit here again in future and some people here will be complaining and crying and saying, “Oh, IEBC has done injustice in my county or my area and they should have consulted us; they should have done this,” I will be the one legislator in his House who will be acquitted by saying at least I tried to provide a solution to it. While it is a Standing Order procedure that allows this House to make a determination, I just want to leave the House with two things: one, that I have absolutely no problem with a defeat of the Bill. Secondly, that I have absolutely no personal interest in this Bill passing by all means. The issue is that Members must be able to go back to think about which other mechanism we have a role to play in. Just like we have a role in delimitation of boundaries of counties, where shall we have recourse to, if tomorrow there is a report of IEBC that does not have---."
}