By Anthony Gitonga
NAIVASHA, KENYA: House Speaker Kenneth Marende has welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court stating that the one-third-gender rule for elective positions will not be applied in the March 4 General Election.
Speaking at a workshop for parliamentary staff in Naivasha, he said that the constitution recognized the three arms of the state an emphasized the need to need to respect the Judiciary’s ruling.
“We have to respect the three arms of the government and we have to respect the ruling on the gender rule,” he said.
Naivasha Mp John Mututho who attended the function also expressed his reservations on the court ruling on gender rule.
He said that the 2015 date set by the court was very far adding that there was need to reduce the time frame.
"Women are now leading in various sectors of this country and we shall be forced by circumstances to respect and fulfill the law," he said.
Voter listing
On the voter registration, Marende said that he was satisfied with the exercise despite the low turn-out.
He said that despite the challenges facing the exercise he was confident that more Kenyans would turn up.
"I have confidence in the BVR kits as they cannot be manipulated and we expect free and fair elections," he said.
Mututho commended the IEBC for a job well done despite facing various challenges in their work. However he expressed his concern over low voter turnout in flower growing regions in Naivasha and its environs.
"We ask flower farmers to give their workers time to register on the remaining days so that they could exercise their democratic right," he said.
These sentiments cone as women across the country continue to express their anger over the Supreme Court ruling.
