Why I back National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on gender rule

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi’s proposal to have Women Representatives and nominated MPs seats scrapped has been received with mixed reactions by the political divide and Kenyans.

The Opposition has already threatened mass action if this debate is not dropped. However, I beg to differ. Yes, I support this debate and I will make you understand why.

First, the amendment of Article 97 (i) – b, c of the Constitution to do away with the positions of elected Women Reps and nominated MPs, and instead create not more than 100 affirmative seats doesn’t necessarily need a referendum. This debate will also be an avenue for the withdrawal of the bill on gender rule without much acrimony. As it is right now, women representatives have dropped this name and prefer to be called MPs which is not a provision in the Constitution.

At the same time, the issue of two third gender rule especially in Senate has raised conflicting ideas and therefore; amending the law in regard to this will definitely bring to an end any existing acrimony. Moving forward, there will be 25 nominated slots in the Senate making it a total of 72 while in the National Assembly, we will have 100 slots bringing the total number of legislators to 390. I am a nominated Senator but I strongly feel there is need for all of us to approach the whole issue as a national agenda and not merely a ‘women’s issue’. The increase of the number of MPs will address the issue of youth representation, persons with disability and the women in leadership.

Like the Speaker clearly put it, we must once again agree that democracy is not about freebies but about competition and ability to perform. We are past the age where political parties simply reward their political cronies by nominating them without undergoing any competitive process.
With the Supreme Court’s deadline of August 27 requiring the enactment of the gender rule principle in elective and appointive public bodies, there is dire need to move fast and ensure that this matter is concluded.

Already, the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has published and introduced in the National Assembly, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill seeking to remove the five- year deadline for implementation and instead allow Parliament do it progressively.

Let us not forget that in the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. In this century, the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality. We can defend gender equality together and in a sober manner.