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{
    "id": 945072,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/945072/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 140,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "people wanted the Constitution to be passed and made some juicy provisions in it which would, in effect, not be implemented and put us where we are today. A way out of this confused position that we have been in from 2010 had to be found. We have struggled very hard. At times we make attempts which we know very well are very difficult to realise. When Duale was moving his Bill to provide for the two-thirds gender rule, we knew very well it was a tall order. We had to make an attempt to actualise this provision of the Constitution. It may not be perfect but at least there is some effort to ensure that we mainstream marginalised groups to the political discourse of the country. We need to understand why this is necessary. Why is it that the female gender or the women of this country who constitute over 50 per cent… I am hesitant. I do not want to give percentages because I am not very sure if it is 51, 54 or 55 per cent. It is close to 51 but it may not be exact. Therefore, I safely say women constitute over 50 per cent of our population. How come electing women to this House to realise the two-thirds gender rule has not been possible? This is because we must admit that we come from a cultural background and society that does not regard women leadership. This dates back to several decades. It is not easy to get it out of the minds of Kenyans in a short period of time. It has to be gradual. I remember one of my late cousins. One time we were just discussing in a very friendly environment and his wife made a contribution and it became a big issue. He could not believe how, after he had already contributed, his wife said something opposite to what he said. Having someone with such a mind-set going to the polling station and voting for a woman is very difficult. We must accept that this patriarchal society will be here for a while. That is why we have to look for ways of ensuring we have some kind of gender equity so that neither gender is left out. We should also include other marginalised groups. It is not just about gender. I am happy that this Bill is addressing another issue which we have been asked to deal with in the Constitution of bringing in people living with disabilities and other minority communities or marginalised groups. They also need some affirmative action to find their way into elective positions. This Bill is making a serious attempt to also include these other groups. On that basis, we need to support this Bill strongly. One reason why it has been very difficult for women and other marginalised or special interest groups to win seats - apart from the general cultural mentality of Kenyans - is the aspect of civility in our electoral process. If we enforced the laws that govern the electoral process in this Country like the Election Offences Act, the Election Campaign Financing Act and the Elections Act and ensured that the provisions of these statutes are implemented, we may not even need affirmative action. First, women complain about violence. I have a rider. We should not assume that it is only men who are violent in this country. I also know of women who misbehave a lot during campaigns. They conduct their politics too violently. We want to enact laws to protect these people and they are the most aggressive and even organise for people to be beaten in funerals. It is annoying. This is being done by people who have gone to school. Why do you think you have to fight to win a political office? You do not have to. Largely, there are more men who promote violence. Therefore, it discourages women. The use of certain words and abuses is not restricted to men. There are also women who abuse men during campaigns. We need to respect the laws and statutes that are in place to govern not only elections, but the general coexistence of the 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."
}