Waiguru vows to support referendum with conditions

Kirinyaga governor Ann Waiguru during a meeting with Committee on Implementation of the Constitution on the status of implementation of constitutional timelines at White Sands Hotel in Mombasa on February 7, 2018. /JOHN CHESOLI

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Friday confirmed her support to the most advocated for constitutional changes, but with some set conditions.

The Kirinyaga County boss said she will only support the proposed referendum if it offers an equal chance for women in elective and public service positions.

Waiguru who was speaking at Maya hotel during a round table forum on the proposed amendments regretted that the two-thirds gender rule in the current statute has not been implemented hence denying women a chance to lead.

Women leaders from different counties who attended the meeting resolved to lobby against constitutional reviews that do not give women equality in society.

“Women are the ones tilling coffee farms yet men are the largest beneficiaries of the bonuses from coffee leaving out women. We need to get many women to parliament to champion for their rights,’’ Waiguru said.

The former Devolution CS said women play a key role in the day-to-day economic activities of the country yet they are alienated when it comes to leadership roles.

The county boss said to achieve the 50/50 gender balance, every elective unit will need to have a woman.

She said the same should be replicated in the executive where if the president is male, the deputy president should be a woman.

“We are saying all elective positions should have a man and a woman if we are to support the referendum. If it is at the ward level we have to have a man and woman being elected in every ward, same to constituency level and the governor’s position,” Waiguru said.

She further said the Constitution should ensure every sector of the society has a 50/50 representation including the issuance of title deeds.

Waiguru said women till their farms but the titles are in their husbands’ names hence making it hard for women to get loans from financial institutions.

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