Women disown court ruling on gender

By Joseph Muchiri

The Executive Director of the Women Political Alliance of Kenya (WPAK), Wambui Kanyi, has criticised the ruling by the Supreme Court that the two-third-gender rule cannot be achieved in the next General Election.

Kanyi said it was unbelievable that an independent Judiciary could make such a ruling even after a struggle for many years to create a level playing ground for men and women.

Speaking to the Press yesterday, Kanyi said she wondered what kind of ruling the Supreme Court would have given if there existed political goodwill from the Executive and the Legislature.

She said she smelt a rat when during the 69th Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Anniversary when the President Kibaki repeatedly told the women not to wait for free things but to go for elective seats.

She said it thus came as a big shock to her when the ruling, which she said gave the country a cause to worry, was made.

Kanyi termed it a disgrace and embarrassment for the country in the regional front for those vested with authority to show leadership to act in such a retrogressive manner.

“How will Kenyan men and women participating in regional and international conferences hold their heads high after such a ruling?” posed Kanyi.

She lauded the Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga for dissenting from the rest by looking at the matter holistically.