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{
    "id": 702567,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/702567/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 114,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mbui",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1750,
        "legal_name": "Robert Mbui",
        "slug": "robert-mbui"
    },
    "content": "Ideally, we are trying to come up with a solution to an anomaly that is in the Constitution. In my opinion, when the Constitution insisted that we are not going to have not more than two- thirds of members of elective public bodies coming from the same gender, it was a tall order. It is important to note that with issues to do with elections, it is almost impossible to determine who gets elected. The austerity measures this country has come up with are such that we are trying to ensure that as we go into the future, we save as much as possible on the public budget. If we go the way many Members are proposing here, we are going to increase the wage bill. Apparently, as it is right now, Kenyans are complaining about how much money is being paid to Members of Parliament and the number of Members this House has. As we move forward, we need to look for ways through which we shall reduce these numbers and not increase them. I support this Bill fully. I support it because the Mover intends to create a progression within which we can solve this problem. Many Members are complaining and saying no to this, but what solution do we have? What is the option against this? This gives us time to think or reason out and come up with solutions that can drive us to the next level. Kenyan women have always fought for affirmative action. I have noted that there are times when affirmative action works against them. In the last elections, I know women who attempted to vie for the 290 constituency seats and were told by the constituents that there are special seats for women. Apparently, because there were 47 women seats, they were told when they vied for the constituency seats that they were not for them. They were told to vie for seats for women. It is important to know that the more we fight to have affirmative action, the more we seem to be weak, and the more the gains we are making as a gender get eroded. I want us to be careful that we do not support things that are going to get us out of way. There is the issue of how the Supreme Court may make decisions. It may possibly decide that this House be dissolved because we have not achieved the two-thirds gender rule. The courts of Kenya have to understand that even as we passed this Constitution, it was clear that it was not 100 per cent perfect. There has to be time for the country to go through it, find out what we can amend and how we can amend it so that as we move into the future we have a solution to these things. I have seen courts being misused. Recently, we saw one of our governors going to court to say that the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC) should not investigate him and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should not prosecute him and that he should not be taken to court. You know what? That has been issued four times. The courts of Kenya have to also rise to the occasion and ensure that the laws being created in this country are progressive and are going to help us. With those remarks, I accept that we progressively implement the legislation that is going to help us achieve the two-thirds gender rule for this country. Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity."
}