ODM leader Raila Odinga is of late receiving so many visitors at his Capitol Hill Office. It seem’s like the former Prime Ministers Visitors book is full and his secretary is surely having long days in office.
Hours after meeting leaders from Embu County, the Opposition chief was visited by the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association (KEWOPA) Executives.
The main reason for the meeting was to discuss the Two Thirds Gender Bill.
According to Raila, the Gender Rule was a casualty of the tampering with the Bomas Draft that took place first in Kilifi then in Naivasha.
Raila however admits that the wrongs committed with regards to the bill can be corrected so that women have their rightful place in leadership.
Raila Odinga met with among others CS Margarete Kobia, CAS Rachel Shebesh and Kisumu woman rep. Rosa Buyu.
Article 81 (b) provides that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies- among them parliament, shall be of the same gender.
Currently, the National Assembly has 75 women MPs- 22 elected from the 290 constituencies in the last election, six nominated in the 12 nomination slots while 47 were elected from the counties in the spirit of affirmative action.
Raila’s sentiments seem to echo those of Majority leader Aden Duale who proposed that the number of women in the national assembly be increased. This could see numbers in Parliament rise from the current 349 to 391. The majority leader proposed an amendment to the Constitution to have more women nominated to the national assembly.
Those in the Senate could also increase but marginally to about 71 from the current 67 members that has 47 elected out of which three are women and 20 nominated- 16 women and four men.
Duale’s bill proposed special nomination seats for women to be shared among political parties depending on the strength in Parliament.
The passage of the bill could see the country pay about Sh60 million in monthly salaries and other allowances to the nominated women Members of Parliament.
“We need this law in place not because Mr Duale or whoever wants it, but because the Constitution demands that Parliament enacts it within a time-frame, which has lapsed. So we have no otherwise but to abide,” Mr Duale said.
Do you Support Raila and Duales latest attempts to have the 2/3 Gender rule adhered to?