The government has finalised plans to procure and install electronic voting equipment in Parliament in a move that will break decades of hand-and-voice voting in the House.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Aggrey Awori told MPs at yesterday's sitting of the plenary that a team of experts from his ministry had inspected the parliamentary chamber and compiled a feasibility report ready for implementation.

"We shall be able to do this in 90 days," said Mr Awori, to the delight of several lawmakers.

The equipment will perform other functions like keeping an attendance record, Mr Awori said, and comes complete with a data bank to store an electronic version of the Hansard.

Mr Awori said four giant monitors would be placed inside the chamber, backed by a remote control devise which each individual MP would use to cast their vote.

He said the colours green would symbolise a yes vote, yellow an abstention and red a no vote.

"For the sake of confirming your vote," Mr Awori said, the equipment comes with a biometrics device to identify each individual MP by finger print.

"There will be four screens in the House so that every MP will know how each one voted. There's no question about a yes and nos," he said, adding, "Some people may say that this will be a way of rigging but there is no way of rigging with electronic voting."

Mr Awori told the MPs that only four individuals would be allowed access to the data bank: the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker of Parliament and a representative of the MPs.

"The equipment will have the capacity for voice recognition on the e-Hansard," he said, telling MPs that they would be able to make DVD copies of their voting patterns and participation on the floor to take back to their constituents for accountability.

Although he did not state the cost of the project, the development would mark a remarkable advent in the conduct of parliamentary business.