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{
    "id": 443118,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/443118/?format=api",
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    "content": "because the input of a third of those MCAs was not present. Therefore, these decisions might have failed the test of constitutionalism on the basis that they did not necessarily factor in representation. I do acknowledge one or two women who were elected to the position of the Speaker, but I do believe that had there been greater women representation we would have more speakers because at the county level where there were Senators and Governors, none of the women was elected to those positions. If we had 600 women across the country, that would have been sufficient leverage for more women speakers in the county assemblies. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is interesting also to note that it is possible that there are very few, if any, women chairpersons of committees in the county assemblies. I think that the way these county assemblies were constituted ab initio might have jeopardized fundamentally the women of the Republic of Kenya in terms of that representation and the minorities that was envisaged. Even as we were doing our own internal dynamics of the Senate we were very careful to ensure that there were committees that were diverse in terms of the chairpersons. Even as Jubilee or CORD made their decisions they ensured that they also encompass the diversity. If one person is elected from one part of the country then the next position had to go to the other person. That monolithic nature of having a patriarchy within MCAs must have disenfranchised many. In fact, it would be important that the Committee on equal opportunities goes to the MCAs and finds out how women have been able to execute their functions coming in well after the decisions have been made so that the report can be acted upon. Where necessary, amends should be made to ensure that minorities and women representative must be encompassed to chair certain committees. This particular Bill remedies that effect and I want to support it fully. Even as we support this Bill, I place the responsibilities on political parties because the context that we had in CORD was about diversity and representation. Even some of our colleagues here in the Senate are still having pending court cases on the basis of how political parties made their decision. Therefore, political parties must be guided by the Constitution to ensure that as they make their nominations, particularly to the county assemblies then there is a process in which the diversity of the various counties must be factored in. I concur with Sen. Murkomen when he poses the question; how do you define minorities in various counties? Who are minorities in those counties? These are some of the definitions that must continue to evolve. This Senate must contribute to ensure that they evolve in a manner as to give substance to the Constitution so that its implementation is based on certain benchmarks or regulations and it is not discretionary. Today, the discretion is just an assumption made by political parties that there might be a few Ndorobos somewhere and we need to nominate them. There must be a formula to do this. You might be a minority when looked at in the context of the entire country, but you might be a majority when looked at in the context of your own county. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, most minorities at the national level are majorities in their counties. Therefore, they must now move progressively to ensure that those minorities are involved in day today running of counties. Unfortunately, in terms of the makeup of our politics, they are fairly tribal. You will find that in the context of Mombasa, there are minorities who might be in the political opposition in that context of Mombasa. By the time you are through, for instance, Mombasa is one of the counties"
}