Kibaki urges women to seek elective posts

Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO) members at a past function. President Kibaki has asked women to seek for elective posts. Photo/FILE

What you need to know:

  • President Kibaki said the Constitution guarantees women right to seek elective positions
  • Only 9.8 per cent of MPs in Kenya are women

President Mwai Kibaki on Monday told women to seek for elective positions in the coming General Election instead of waiting for posts on a silver platter.

Addressing the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO) 60th anniversary celebrations, President Kibaki said: “It is a fact. It is a reality that you have to seek the positions.”

“You should set your mind and work hard to get the positions,” President Kibaki said at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi.

President Kibaki said the Constitution guarantees women right to seek elective positions and that they should not be misguided.

“The fact that the Constitution accepts your right to seek elective positions is very clear but to get that right you have to work hard. The positions are not going to come from any other source,” President Kibaki said.

Kibaki said many people have struggled for long to get power and that it is not an easy thing.

“Let me call on women across our beautiful country to seek elective positions in the next General Election. There is no way of getting anything for free,” Kibaki said.

There has been debate on a formula to be used to ensure no gender makes up more than two thirds of membership of elective offices in the March 4 polls to avoid a constitutional crisis.

A case has since been filed in court for interpretation on how the gender requirement could be achieved.

Kenya risks going Egypt’s way because the Senate, Parliament and even some County Assemblies may be declared unconstitutional by the courts if gender rule is not met.

Article 27 of the Constitution states that no more than two-thirds of members of any institution should constitute one gender.

Women are set to be the biggest immediate beneficiaries of this requirement because they have been marginalised in elective political positions for decades.

Only 9.8 per cent of MPs in Kenya are women, compared to 56.3 per cent in Rwanda, Uganda (35 per cent), Burundi (30.5 per cent) and Ethiopia (37.8 per cent).

This has mainly been attributed to retrogressive cultural practices, violence in political campaigns and lack of resources.

President Kibaki said women should take advantage of the Constitution recognition of their right to seek positions.

“We took 50 years fighting over this matter. We should be happy we have achieved this much,” he said, adding all Kenyans have right to vote freely.

“The Constitution was accepted by Kenyans two years ago. At least we succeeded,” he said.

MYWO chairperson Rukia Subow, patron Jane Kiano and vice-chairperson Rahab Muiu called on women to elect women representatives for the 47 counties who will serve them and not their own interests.

President Kibaki urged MYWO to use its vast network of four million members and 25,000 women groups to promote peace among Kenyans.