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{
    "id": 1219928,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1219928/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 279,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Homa Bay County, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Atieno Bensouda",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you so much, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this noble Motion. For those who do not know me, I am Hon. Doctor Joyce Atieno Sogo Bensouda, Woman Representative for Homa Bay County. Homa Bay is here full house with eight constituencies. I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker because I am your Woman Representative and sitting beside me is the Karachuonyo Member of Parliament who is also one of the people from the same county with me. I really appreciate when I hear, “I want to be very brief today”, because the issues to be supported in the Motion are quite clear and precise and do not even require more debate, they require implementation. Where a nod is required, I will give. Where further consultation and intensive public participation is required, it must go to the people. Therefore, I appreciate the current Government which has brought four items for this Parliament to legislate. Top cream is the two-thirds gender rule. I remember during my campaigns, one of the things that I promised the women was that I was going into that Parliament to push for implementation of the two-thirds gender rule once and for all. I congratulate all the women in this Parliament, the senior ones who are not with us here, but are in other levels of Government. I appreciate those who have earned their positions be it in the private sector, parastatals or others. I want to inform and categorically go on record that the two-thirds gender rule in this Parliament does not require further debate, but implementation. It is long overdue. I think we are moving towards taking sideshows when we are still wondering whether it should be implemented or not. I urge all the sitting male Members of Parliament that this is something that we want to see them on the forefront. It is the women who are leading this country right from the villages and houses where we come from. When a woman is in front, everything is perfect. The two-thirds gender rule should be concluded. Let us not debate over this issue until Jesus comes back and finds us still pretending over the two-thirds gender rule. The second issue is on enshrining the NG-CDF and the NGAAF into the Constitution of Kenya. In Kenya, we are 47 Women Representatives. I am very happy that we have shifted as a Parliament that when we mention the NG-CDF, a sixth sense comes into the minds of the Members who are representing constituencies and they mention the NGAAF. Bensouda is saying the NGAAF is first. We have seen the fruits of the NG-CDF - very conspicuous and very objective. In my constituency, I see classrooms which can be models. I thank you Temporary Speaker, Hon. Kaluma for what you have done on classrooms in Homa Bay Town Constituency. I see what Hon. Adipo Okuome does in the constituency where I cook ugali . There is no debate about the NG-CDF. If anything, we are calling for an increased percentage, not a reduction and not a debate over it. Hon. Temporary Speaker, when we came to Parliament, in my maiden speech, I categorically said that I did not resign from my job to become a flower girl. I am above being a flower girl in Parliament. I am here to represent. I cannot defend words and statements. I represent work which goes hand in hand with financial mobilisation. Therefore, I echo the Government for bringing that part of the NG-CDF and the NGAAF to be enshrined in the Constitution. I remember very well when we had a sitting during the time when the current Government visited Homa Bay, I rose on behalf of the 47 Women Representatives and Dr. William Ruto said: ‘Bensouda, I have already signed that, kazi ni kwenyu huko Bungeni’ . Is 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."
}