Women now turn the heat on politicians

Under the banner of Gender 10 (G10), the lobbyists said the two feuding coalition government partners were using the vice-president’s position to propagate bickering and unnecessary power games between the President and the Prime Minister. On the recent fight over the leader of Government Business in Parliament, the women said that President Kibaki and Mr Odinga would have solved the issue without dragging Mr Kalonzo into it.

“He is used to undermine discussions that should take place and delay proper implementation of the National Accord,” Ms Ann Njogu of the Centre for Rights and Education Awareness (Creaw) told journalists. Ms Njogu was accompanied by Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) director Ms Patricia Nyaundi and Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Rukia Subow, among other women’s lobby groups leaders.

Turning to Speaker Kenneth Marende’s decision to act as an interim chairman of the House Business Committee, the women said that he failed to take decisive action and instead shied away. On Tuesday, Mr Marende ruled that he would temporarily fill the position of Chair of the House Business Committee, which Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka had both claimed.

While Mr Odinga argued that as coordinator and supervisor of government functions he should lead, Mr Musyoka had the backing of the President and had been leader since the First Session of the 10th Parliament. “He (the Speaker) made a safe decision at a time when the country needs tough decisive action to move forward on its reform agenda,” said Ms Carole Ageng’o, director of Tomorrow’s Child Initiative, said.

However, they acknowledged that the Speaker’s move would enable House business to continue. The women further said they were tired of the power games in Government and asked the members of the coalition to put their personal interests aside and be sensitive to the citizens’ needs.