Karua backs law change, pushes for gender equality

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has called on women to fight for equality in the proposed constitutional amendments.

She supported calls for a referendum to have constituencies transformed to wards that will see each represented by a male and female delegate as a way to achieve gender equality.

“Constitutional amendments are necessary and they should be used to address the gender equality gap,” she said.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

She was speaking at the launch of the Nyeri County assembly women association's strategic goals at a hotel in the county.

To realise gender equality, Ms Karua proposed changes in the Constitution that will see women included in the ballot where if the presidential candidate is a man the running mate should be a woman and vice versa.

“As women, we must take note of the constitutional review and we must position ourselves to reap form the review of the law and also demand that the Constitution is changed,” said the former Gichugu MP.

In her proposal, she said Parliament should hold at least 188 lawmakers, that is both senators and MPs, instead of the 416 currently occupying the National Assembly.

“Let it be second nature to have an all-inclusive society where both men and women share an equal pace in the position of leadership and decision making,” said Ms Karua.

She also proposed an overhaul of the nomination process.

IEBC CHANGES

“In each ward that will replace the constituency, let us have a male and female elected to Parliament so that we can stop these mass nominations to Parliament. Let us just go for the directly elected people,” she said.

Ms Karua insisted that Kenyans should be well informed on the amendments to the Constitution.

At the same time, the former MP said the electoral agency should be configured before the country heads to a referendum.

“This is an opportunity to put things right by cutting the budget allocated to IEBC. Elections in Kenya are more expensive than in other developing countries,” she said.

She further said the country was losing more than a third of its budget to corruption, insisting that accountability in the government should be looked into.