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{
"id": 1211687,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1211687/?format=api",
"text_counter": 106,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": "morning is for Members to ventilate and have that general debate on the various proposals contained in that Memorandum. We already had a general debate in the first Session on some of the issues such as the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), the Senate Oversight Fund, and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). We seek to have the same general debate on the other proposals on the Two-Thirds Gender Rule, the creation of the Office of the Leader of Official Opposition, and the proposed amendment to our Standing Orders to have cabinet secretaries appear in the House to answer Questions, Statements and issues of concern to Kenyans. Members will recall that in the 11th and 12th Parliaments, Hon. Aden Duale, as Leader of the Majority Party, brought Bills to amend the Constitution to actualise the Two-Thirds gender principle in the Constitution. All those attempts failed. In the 11th Parliament, Hon. Chepkonga, as the then Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, also made similar attempts. The Deputy Speaker herself, Gladys Boss Shollei, also attempted to amend the Constitution to actualise this principle in a Bill that she sponsored. There is also the current Bill that the Deputy Speaker has proposed in her capacity as a Member of Parliament. That Bill had been approved by the House Business Committee and I am advised that it was notified to the House Business Committee that the Speaker has agreed to allow debate because it will enrich some of the proposals that Hon. Shollei and any other Member would have on the issue of the two-thirds gender rule. Over time, Members will appreciate that three or four attempts to actualise this rule has been a struggle. During the last attempt, we could not even raise the two-thirds majority to pass that particular amendment. Sadly, it took the former Chief Justice, Hon. Maraga, writing to the then President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, to take action and dissolve the House because the House was said to be unconstitutional. That persists to date. As currently constituted, we are yet to achieve the two-thirds gender rule. Therefore, it could also be said that this House is not constitutionally constituted. In his wisdom, the President in his Memorandum has sought to help the House think through some of the proposals - as Hon. Shollei has thought through her proposals - on how we can actualise this so that we constitute the House constitutionally in line with what was provided for in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. No single gender shall make up more than two-thirds of the membership and that measures will be taken through legislation or amendments to the Constitution to actualise this rule for the gender that has fewer numbers. If you read the President’s Memorandum with the number of women legislators elected in this Parliament in mind, other than the 47 County Women Representatives which are affirmative seats, we have another 28 single-member constituency Members of Parliament, some of whom are seated here. I noted Hon. Wamuchomba and the Member for Moiben, who are representing single-member constituencies. Congratulations to these very good ladies who had to fight it out amongst many other aspirants who were seeking to lead constituencies and they made it. We can only encourage our women to fight it out in elections for us to eventually have elected Members and not just nominated Members to this House, who will help us achieve the two-thirds gender rule. In the absence of that, we have no choice but to make amendments to the Constitution that will ensure that we achieve this rule. I hear the Member for Endebess mentioning the indomitable Member for Narok North, Hon. Agnes, who is also a single- member constituency Member of Parliament from the very difficult terrain of Narok North - a community that initially did not believe in the power and leadership of women. The people of Narok North, Kajiado, Moiben, Githunguri, Samburu West, Kitui South and Laikipia where Hon. Sarah Korere comes from are societies which are very patriarchal and never believed in the leadership of women, but today, they appreciate that women can also make very good leaders and that they are as good if not better than men leaders. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}