State to push for two gender Bills

What you need to know:

  • The Bills seek to fulfil constitutional provisions requiring fair representation of women and marginalised communities in public and elective positions.
  • One of the Bills is sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale (URP) and the other by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga (URP).
  • Appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee yesterday, Solicitor-General Njee Muturi said the government would support the two Bills but will amend some of the provisions.

The government will still push for the passing of two gender Bills despite opposition from women’s groups and male MPs, the Solicitor-General has said.

The Bills seek to fulfil constitutional provisions requiring fair representation of women and marginalised communities in public and elective positions.

The proposed laws, which have attracted criticism from women’s groups and civil societies, have been tabled in Parliament and must be passed by August 27 unless MPs extend the deadline.

One of the Bills is sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale (URP) and the other by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga (URP).

They have been lined up for debate in the National Assembly after the first reading.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee yesterday, Solicitor-General Njee Muturi said the government would support the two Bills but will amend some of the provisions.

According to him, the Bills will serve two different purposes.

Among others, Chepkonga’s Bill proposes that the two-thirds rule should be implemented progressively in a span of five years. Women’s lobby groups have opposed the timeline.

The Duale Bill seeks to change the Constitution to allow for the creation of special seats for women in the Senate and National Assembly but male MPs oppose it saying parliamentary seats should be contested not given for free. Mr Muturi agreed to review the Chepkonga Bill and republish it without the controversial sections in order to make it “more attractive to the public”.

“We will publish another Bill by Friday (this week) to accommodate all the views by CIC (Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution). We will also give it another name to cushion it from more criticism,” said Mr Muturi when he appeared before the committee sitting at County Hall, Nairobi.

CIC Chairman Charles Nyachae, also present, confirmed the commission had made several changes to the Bill.

“We have removed the ‘progressive section’ and approved it,” said Mr Nyachae. The MPs also warned the AG against delays in publishing Bills, which must by August 27.