Lobby proposes changes on gender rule to beat August deadline

As the National Assembly runs out of time to enact the two-thirds gender rule that would see more female MPs in Parliament, a parliamentary caucus on human rights has proposed amendments to beat the August 27 deadline.

The proposals, termed popular initiative, will see the county assemblies debate the bill and involve the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to prepare it for debate within 90 days.

After debate in the assemblies, the bill will be brought before both the National Assembly and Senate. If the two Houses do not pass it, it will go for a constitutional referendum.

This is because Parliament may not be able to entrench on time Article 81 (b), which refers to the general principles of Kenya's electoral system and states: "The electoral system shall comply with the following principle - (b) not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender."

"The initiative requires us to have a minimum of 24 counties voting to pass the bill," said Human Rights parliamentary caucus Chair Agostino Neto, who is also Ndhiwa MP.

Neto (pictured), who was with 10 MPs, met more than 100 MCAs from Western Kenya and explained that as the August 27 deadline approaches, parliamentary attempts to pass the gender rule will be difficult.

"...180 days are required to amend the Constitution through Parliament. This is so when you put in mind that a bill takes 90 days between the first and second reading. With seven weeks remaining, it will not be possible for a new bill over the same," he said.

County assemblies will now be obliged to debate four proposals, among them seeking to fix the time-lines under which boundaries of wards can be altered, that two senators, male and female be elected in each of the 47 counties and two constituencies team up to elect one woman rep instead of the current system which calls for one per county.

At least 24 counties must debate and pass the proposals to enable the two Houses to pass the amendments in order to beat the deadline.

"The first one we have said is the boundary review of the wards be also put in the Constitution to be between 7 and 8 years like that one of constituencies," said Neto, who was flanked by Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali, Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, Kakamega Woman Rep Rachel Ameso among other legislators and MCAs .

"The second one is that we will have fixed the number of wards at 1,450," he explained.

He said one of the proposals is to do away with nomination of MCAs and replace them with special seats such as for the youth and the disabled.

He said they have a formula for creating a special seat for women in the county assembly.

"We are proposing that each county elects two senators (male and female) to raise the number of senators to 94," Shinali said.