Use BBI to fix gender crisis, say ex-MPs

Former MPs now want President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Raila Odinga to expedite the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process to address the two-thirds gender rule.

Under the umbrella of Former Parliamentarian Association Kenya (FOPA), the ex-lawmakers said the envisioned constitutional amendments would solve the elusive gender parity law.

Addressing the press yesterday in Nairobi, the leaders led by the association chairperson Humphrey Njuguna, Hassan Osman (Vice chairperson) and John Njoroge said the two leaders should release the report to pave way for referendum.

The politicians said the gender rule will remain unimplemented if the constitution is not reviewed.

“As former lawmakers, we hold the opinion that it is time to release and implement the BBI report so that these and other problems in our Constitution relating to governance can be sorted out once and for all,” said Njuguna, a former Gatanga MP.

“This advisory opinion on dissolution of Parliament has triggered the need to embrace the BBI report to cure some of these challenges. It is our desire to see a united and cohesive country where we can talk of one country; one people; one destiny,” he added.

The leaders said the gender parity law should only be applicable to appointments and employment positions and not elective.

Njuguna said it would be discriminative to force voters in a particular constituency to pick a woman.

Osman said the advisory by Chief Justice David Maraga to President Uhuru Kenyatta should serve as an alarm bell for the implementation of the BBI.