Give women more seats, President Uhuru Kenyatta told

Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua addresses the media when she led women committee leaders on gender rule to meet CORD leader Raila Odinga (right) Thursday. [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Opposition leaders have accused the Jubilee administration of lacking the political will to facilitate election of more women MPs.

The leaders claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime does not have the political will to put in place mechanisms to ensure that the not more than two-thirds gender quota in Parliament is implemented.

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), Narc Kenya and Labour Party leaders Thursday met at Serena hotel in Nairobi, where they demanded that a bill seeking to postpone the realisation of the gender quota is dropped immediately. The bill was sponsored by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga.

CORD principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula as well as Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua and Labour’s Julia Ojiambo said the implementation of gender rule is not optional and they will not beg Jubilee over the same.

They lamented that although the August 27 deadline given by the Supreme Court was fast approaching, the ruling coalition does not appear determined to unlock the stalemate but is instead sponsoring a bill to undermine the provisions of the Constitution.

“The bill undermines the letter and spirit of the Constitution and we are asking that it gets withdrawn immediately,” Raila said.

 GENDER GAP

He announced that CORD will hold a retreat for all its MPs and invite all women leaders to address them.

“We are saying where there is a will, there is a way and we in CORD are ready to come up with mechanisms,” he added.

Kalonzo said if the Jubilee administration fails to honour what is provided for women in the Constitution, “they will roast in their own path of neglect and time is catching up with them.”

“Jubilee does not live the spirit of the Constitution but we’re telling them this is not negotiable. The time for change is now and women of Kenya deserve what is rightfully theirs in the Constitution,” he said.

Karua particularly challenged President Kenyatta to show leadership and his commitment to bridging the gender gap in public offices, having signed up for the United Nation’s ‘He for She’ campaign.