The leadership of the National Assembly has clashed with a constitutional body and civil society groups over the formula to ensure more women ascend to public positions as provided for in the two-thirds gender rule.
And further divisions emerged Wednesday between male and female lawmakers after National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Samuel Chepkonga told off women MPs fighting a bill designed to stagger implementation of the gender rule.
The tug-of war over the contentious matter stems from a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2012 that set August 27 as the deadline to have legislative measures in place to give effect to the two-thirds gender principle in relation to the National Assembly and Senate.
The Commission on Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) and civil society groups canvassing for affirmative action want Chepkonga to withdraw the bill, which he has already tabled in the House.
And speaking from South Africa, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi proposed the scrapping of all positions of women representatives and nominated MPs.
READ MORE
Kenya not ready to elect women leaders despite two-thirds gender rule
Inside William Ruto's public participation nightmare
Muturi wants Article 97 (b) of the Constitution amended to scrap the positions and its place taken by a new clause providing election of 100 women MPs through clustering of the current 290 constituencies.
Scrapping of the seats will see the current number of MPs rise 390 from 349.
"The IEBC should be given delegated mandate of coming up with a formula of how the 100 slots will be shared among women and other special interest groups," the Speaker spoke in Johannesburg when he delivered a keynote address on gender empowerment and women representation in leadership in commonwealth countries.
Committee resolution
In Nairobi, the CIC and the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) called for implementation of a recommendation to amend several statues.
"Parliament as an institution has a responsibility to comply with the Constitution and we are asking Hon Chepkonga to withdraw this bill," CIC Chairman Charles Nyachae said.
However, Chepkonga said the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2015, was a result of a resolution by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and he cannot withdraw it.
"We will invite the public, including CIC, to give us their input. We do not intend to withdraw the bill as it was adopted and sponsored by the committee," he said.
The two spoke when they appeared before another parliamentary committee, Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee.
Even as CIC and Chepkonga clashed, the CMD was meeting at a city hotel where they accused the Ainabkoi MP of seeking to reverse the gains made under the new Constitution.
"As political parties, we would like to remind MPs that equality is about 50-50 and the not more than third majority principle is bare minimum," a communique read by CMD Vice Chairman Sande Oyolo added.
Later, National Assembly's Majority Leader Aden Duale and Chepkonga held a press conference where they told off women MPs opposed to the push to have the two-thirds gender rule implemented progressively.
