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{
    "id": 859706,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/859706/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 283,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bumula, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mwambu Mabongah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13309,
        "legal_name": "Moses Wekesa Mwambu Mabonga",
        "slug": "moses-wekesa-mwambu-mabonga-2"
    },
    "content": "nominate their relatives, wives and people who are close to them. That is why even if we support this Bill, we have to be realistic and come up with a legal framework to ensure that the right people, who are the women of this House or those outside, benefit from the amendments we are proposing before the House. People have cited many examples in East Africa, particularly Rwanda. To be born a woman is power. If you pretend to be one, then you are not. People have turned this Bill into a women-only affair. Yesterday, somebody said that if we allow women to be given those nomination slots, we will increase love in some families. There are occasions where the opposite might be true. Since this Bill has been defeated twice, what are some of the efforts that have been made, including public participation, to make sure it passes this time? Yesterday, I watched the debate on different media stations. You will be shocked that outside there, when you talk of nomination slots being increased, people are crying about the wage bill. We know that the budget allocated to Parliament is very little, but outside there, the majority of women do not agree with it. Just in case this Bill is defeated - even though we support it - each one of us should make an effort to go back to our respective constituencies and sensitise people to understand that this is a basic human right. Today, we are talking of nominating women. Maybe in the next Parliament, we will be talking of nominating men. If in the next Parliament there will be more men sweeping more seats, what will happen? Will we come up with an amendment Bill to ensure that we have more women in positions? This is something that we need to look at very seriously so that we can capture what is needed. Another thing that we need to do is to look at the Constitution. As I said, this is not something new. The Constitution was passed by Kenyans. When Kenyans passed it, some of them did not know that it is an expensive venture. If we want to fulfil the constitutional mandate that we have been given as Members of this House, we have to be realistic. Let each one of us support it. I have heard some Members say that we should just say that we support it, but when it comes to voting, people will walk out. We are not being genuine with ourselves unless another “Soipan ruling” will be introduced in the House. We have to, at least, be realistic in what we are saying. If we support the amendment, let us be here during the voting day and exercise our democratic right so that we can walk together as a team in this nation."
}