Two thirds gender rule achievable

Chief Justice David Maraga deserves credit for putting our patriarchal political class on the spot over the two-thirds gender rule. Presently, only 21.8 percent of members of the National Assembly are women. The emerging constitutional crisis will require extra-ordinary leadership. For the sake of constitutional order, the political class must step up and pass legislation to increase the number of women in Parliament.

The case for increasing the share of women in Parliament is simple and clear. First and foremost, it is a matter of gender equality for its own sake. It does not matter that women legislators may be just as corrupt or incompetent as their male counterparts. What matters is that since women make up more than half of our population, our institutions should reflect that fact.