'No more nominations to reward cronies'

Nominating political fence-sitters or persons who claim closeness to party leadership will soon be history if a proposal to only pick those who have actively participated in party primaries is approved.

The deal was sealed at a meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and women MPs on Thursday. Kandara MP Alice Wahome yesterday said the details will be contained in an amendment bill to be drafted by the executive.

She said President Kenyatta instructed that the office of Attorney General Githu Muigai comes up with a two-fold legislative approach to address the two-thirds gender rule to honour the court order.

“This will ensure only women who emerge second in party primaries are given automatic nomination,” said Wahome. She said the idea will also give the best performing woman in party elections an opportunity in the event that a man wins.

Speaking at a separate function, Attorney General Githu Muigai said he has already presented a bill in Parliament that proposes the amendment of the Constitution on the two-thirds gender rule.

The bill according to the AG requires that a top up process contained in another bill be carried out after an election if they rule has not been met.
The AG spoke at a Nairobi hotel during the launch of braille publication by the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Ms Wahome said political parties will therefore be required to ensure they have proper structures in place during primaries to guarantee free and fair participation of women in nominations.

“The names of the best performing candidates in party primaries shall be sent at the electoral agency and once elections are over it shall be used for the ‘top up’ exercise to bridge the gender gap.

Wahome was speaking after a meeting between the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC), State Law Office and representatives of various ministries under whose dockets the various bills lie.