After it emerged that Women leaders and the senate have been at logger heads on the provisions of the two thirds gender rule, the senate has finally bowed to pressure permitting the warring factions to find an amicable truce on the matter.
In a media briefing at parliamentary buildings ,senate Justice and legal affairs chair ,Samson Chergei said that after complains by the women leaders that his committee had trashed the provisions which will leverage women representation including the 2/3 gender rule component, the committee has written to the speaker of the senate to formulate a stakeholders meeting which will incorporate their issues in the Mutula Kilonzo junior bill.
“I have written to the speaker of the senate Kenneth Lusaka so that we can have a stakeholder’s engagement on the matter.”Chergei said
Chergei’s statement was a quick rejoinder after women leaders on Monday morning condemned the senate committee on Legal affairs and Justice for trashing constitutional amendments which will see implementation of provisions of 2/3 gender rule.
The Chergei led committee trashed bill tabled in the senate by Mutula kilonzo junior proposing amendment of article 97 of the constitution to give effect to the two thirds gender principle whenever it is required.
Led by the commissioner of the National Gender commission Priscillah Nyokabi, the women leaders opposed the assertion by the committee report that women have not done enough in terms of development in the country thus there is no need to have 50/50 gender representation.
“We are incensed by the recent report of the senate legal affairs and Justice Committee which has purportedly trashed the constitutional provisions on the equality of women and men.”Nyokabi said
Chergei differed with the women’s leaders’ assertion pointing that they failed to appear before the committee during the public participation platform to give their input.
He also urged political parties to increase the number of women representation in order to help the country realize a wider representation across the country.
The 2/3 gender rule third was stunted early this year when the National Assembly failed to pass it.
