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{
    "id": 966808,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/966808/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Maina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 75,
        "legal_name": "Ephraim Mwangi Maina",
        "slug": "ephraim-maina"
    },
    "content": "you with. It may be a name or character out of their making, but that is the name that is in their mind. As Senators and lawyers in this House may know, when you want to use that name, it is an extremely tedious exercise. It is actually something that also touches on other constitutional matters of the freedom of the candidate. I am trying to say that for example, the people of Meru County could easily adopt the name “Mr. Speaker” or they may call you “Order” because they hear you saying; “Order”. It is just the way we were calling Hon. Kaparo in the “Lower” House. If hon. Kaparo, was to vie, he may wish to be referred to as “Order”. I have a personal experience on this. The world today requires that you go through the rigorous process of changing your name in your Identity (ID) card and all documents. This invades your constitutional freedom. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for example, you might have married as a young man and that name will not appear on the marriage certificate. If you are not there tomorrow, your family could be taken through rigorous motions of proving that you are a relative because the ID shows something different. All these becomes necessary because you want to serve the people and people have come up with a name that they feel they want you to use. This scenario is in other countries in the world. In the United States of America (USA) in the states of Nevada, Texas and California, they actually allow people to include their nicknames or names they are referred to during elections. One can even have it in the ballot. In Canada, they have a system where they allow you to use your name. Therefore, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, mine is to try and bring the necessary amendment in the Elections Act, to allow the candidates choose whichever name they may wish to be identified with. One can go through the normal legal framework of affidavit and after that, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should be able to adopt that name. It should truly be the name that should be used to identify you. As the case is now, some people are forced to use the name on the ID and they lose many votes.This again infringes on the will of the people. A person will go and say that he wants to elect Ephraim Mwangi Maina, as I am known. Somebody will then look through the list of candidates and pretend they do not know what you are saying. Somebody else will come and say they want Eng. Kirinyaga which does not appear anywhere on the ballot. They could be led to mark for another candidate. This mischief can and has occurred. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir that is what this Bill is trying to prevent. It wants to give the candidates their freedom of identity and also give the public an easy way of identifying them. When the matter went to the IEBC and all other bodies including the public, they had no objection. Therefore, I feel that this is a matter that is timely as we advance and nourish democracy in this country. With those remarks, I beg to move and invite Sen. Olekina to second the Bill."
}