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{
    "id": 859806,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/859806/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 383,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kabondo Kasipul, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Eve Obara",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13352,
        "legal_name": "Eve Akinyi Obara",
        "slug": "eve-akinyi-obara"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand today to add my voice in support of the Bill. There has been word going around the country of late with a lot of half-truths and I am happy that as of yesterday, a lot of this had been clarified. First and foremost, let me say that this issue of the two-thirds gender rule is not about women. It is about inclusivity, fairness, equity and also leaving no one behind. The people of Kenya spoke many years back and they said that they needed to have at least not more than two- thirds of any gender in position of leadership. It has taken a long time from 2010 to date. We are aware that Parliament has attempted two times to pass this Bill but it has failed. We are aware too that the Supreme Court has proclaimed itself and said that Parliament as it is, is not properly constituted and has given this House an opportunity to correct this gap. We are the House that makes laws and we know that the Constitution is supreme. What reason would we give to the Kenyans, who we represent in this House, for not passing this Bill this time? If there is anything that we should be remembered for, I think this should be our legacy as the 12th Parliament. We have seen the numbers. It is no longer the 50s and the 100s that have been flying around. It is only 21. We have also seen the resultant figures in case of the financial implication and these two can be accommodated within the budget of Parliament through reallocation or even a simple Supplementary Budget. We have seen that it is Kshs282 million per year. I am not saying that this is little money. I am saying that this is money that we can afford to accommodate to be able to bring in the women in this case. Tomorrow it may be the men. Kenya has been a trailblazer and this is a reality. Unfortunately, today on this matter, we are trailing behind in the region. Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania are now way ahead of us and yet we had powerhouses and women like Mama Phoebe Asiyo, Grace Ogot and Chelegat Mutai. They were all here in this House and yet it is something that is within our control. It has been said here that the mechanism is not quite right. One reason that is being floated around is how the people will be nominated. If this is the only reason, then this is something, as I have said, that is within our control. We can put the mechanism in place where fairness, as we are always known for as women, will prevail. Those who sit as nominees in this House will surely and truly deserve as they have. Even from the ones that have been nominated before, we have seen what they have been able to do. I want to say that when women come in, I believe that many more will be elected through the ballot because the impact that they are going to leave behind will be remembered for a long time. Watch this space. The 23 will turn to 30 or even 40. Thank you very much. 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."
}