The Government is working with various stakeholders in ensuring that the bill intended to ensure the Two Thirds Gender Rule in political representation in the country is passed by the current parliament.
Cabinet Secretary and Advisor in the Office of the President on women’s rights Harriet Kigai said the Two Thirds Rule bill has been tabled in parliament several times, but the members of Parliament failed to pass it due to various issues.
It’s worth noting that the 2010 Constitution mandated the legislature to pass laws that will help the country achieve two thirds rule in political representation and other spheres, but this has remained a pipe dream as the subsequent parliaments threw the bills out.
The government is planning to table the bill in the parliament soon and is lobbying various partners and stakeholders to support it.
“This time round we are confident that the current parliament will pass it because we have political goodwill and the full support that the bill requires,” Kigai said.
The Cabinet Advisor was speaking during a gender workshop organized by Institute of Certified Secretaries (ICS) in Naivasha Thursday, under the theme, Women`s journey towards no ceiling.
Kigai said the current government has achieved more in terms of gender representation, where the sitting cabinet has a representation of 36 per cent women as opposed to 2017, when the same consisted of only 21 per cent women.
The National Gender Equality Commission (NGEC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Betty Sungura said there is need to sensitize all stakeholders on the importance of this bill so that it can be actualized by the parliament.
She also expressed confidence that the bill will be realized this time round, through concerted efforts from government and all stakeholders.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) representative, Faith Odhiambo said Kenya had made major progress in gender equality and her organization will continue to give the Gender Agenda the requisite push and the support it requires in order to be realized.
By Mabel Keya
