MACHAKOS, Kenya – In Kenya’s ongoing efforts to enforce the constitutional gender rule of not more than two-thirds of either gender in public offices, women across the nation are actively contributing their perspectives on the best methods for its implementation.
According to Kenya News Agency, Daisy Amdany, co-chair of the multi-sectoral working group on the realization of the 2/3 gender rule, emphasized the importance of public opinion in determining the most suitable framework to meet this constitutional mandate. Speaking at Machakos Social Hall, Amdany, also the Executive Director of the Community Advocacy and Awareness (CRAWN) Trust, stated that the working group is conducting nationwide public hearings to gather diverse views for a comprehensive report.
The multi-sectoral working group, comprising representatives from civil society organizations, trade unions, state agencies, religious groups, and the private sector, aims to ensure inclusive participation in shaping the framework.
Amdany highlighted the critical nature of this national dialogue, citing the 2012 Supreme Court advisory that urged the parliament to enact laws ensuring compliance with the 2/3 gender principle. “As it stands, both the National Assembly and the Senate fall short of constitutional compliance, keeping the possibility of dissolution on the table,” she noted.
Stressing the inevitability of implementing the 2/3 gender principle embedded in the Bill of Rights, Amdany clarified that it transcends women’s rights, encompassing broader national values of equality, justice, participation, and inclusion.
The meeting also featured former Nyeri County Women Representative Priscilla Nyokabi, a vocal advocate for the gender rule. Nyokabi highlighted the leadership implications of the rule for both men and women, aiming to achieve a constitutional balance in leadership.
Nyokabi identified electoral violence, gender-based harassment, and cyberbullying as significant barriers to women’s election, calling for criminalization of such acts under the electoral offenses act. She also proposed that the formula used in county assemblies for gender representation be extended to the national assembly, the Senate, and the national executive.
The ongoing public participation exercise underscores Kenya’s commitment to fulfilling its constitutional mandate of gender parity in governance.