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{
    "id": 858418,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/858418/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 450,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support this Bill not because it is talking about women or it is being promoted by women, but because it is one of the issues that we were supposed to have done as early as 2012. Much as it may appear as if it came first in the 11th Parliament, I can confirm that this Bill was first published in 2012. We had two issues, the date of election and the gender principle. We withdrew it because we were advised that change of the election date was going to interfere with the life of the President. Being so close to an election year, it did not make sense to get into more controversy. We withdrew and hoped that it was going to come in the 11th Parliament which it did but it did not get support. I know Hon. Millie Odhiambo was with me in Bomas when we were looking at all these things. It was a highly emotive issue. The questions that were being asked were why we need so many women in Parliament. It is still a question that is being asked out there - why do we need so many, what have the ones who are in Parliament done? Even as we look at these things, because we must pass this Bill, I am raising this as a challenge to the elected and the Members of Parliament of the female gender who are in this Parliament, you have work to do than the men. Like somebody observed, it is not legal issues that are stopping women from being elected, it is attitude issues. Women comprise 52 per cent of the voters. Why are they not voting for their own? It is cultural and social issues. Much as we have gained, I see the danger. If you look at the elections of Members of County Assemblies, we have all been there. Whenever the female Members stand as candidates in the electoral wards, the argument is, you have a top up to do, leave this for men. We have gained a lot through the fights of some of the lady Members of Parliament who have been elected at the electoral level. I want to ask you to do more so that as we pass this Bill, come 2022, we do not end up with men being elected because there is a top up reserved that would trigger the next referendum. The two-third gender rule may well be the question of the referendum because the cost will go up. I am just doing this because I have been listening to the people. Kenyans are concerned because the issue of cost on the Constitution is becoming relevant. But as the lady Members of Parliament, if we can see you more active, if we can see more Millie Odhiambos… I am using Millie Odhiambo as an example because she gave me a hard time when I used to bring the legislation here and I had to ensure that she is either on a trip if it is a controversial Bill or I sit down with her to agree on why the amendments I was bringing were necessary. She was resourceful in terms of amendment. The discussions we had in Bomas are still relevant today. We know women are marginalised and they do not have access to not just electoral seats, but they did not have access to funding. We have therefore created several funds for them which include Women Enterprise Development Fund and the Youth Enterprise Development Fund. Men between the ages of 35 to 50 years, complain that they are still being marginalised. For the sake of my daughter, my granddaughter, my wife and my mother… I am surrounded by women in my household. I am not even talking of a son because I only have a son in law. So, I will do anything for women, but I am also asking you, please, let us not go the route the MCAs have gone in terms of saying that we have top up seats; we will not go for the electoral ones. This is because if we do this, we will The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}