Best women losers in polls to get nominated

Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro now says the proposal by the technical working group to have the best female losers considered as priority for nomination slots can be adopted, as long as there is room for competitiveness among women interested in electoral seats.

The formula appears to appeal to political parties as well, with ODM and TNA backing the idea to support more women in the electoral process.

The compromise position proposes that women should compete equally at the ballot to qualify for any nomination.

“There are no failures in an election, there are only best losers, so we get the best losers those should fill the difference so there are no free seats,” said Ethuro.

ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba said; “It is time we say gone are the days where the culture of freebies to women ruled.”

His sentiments were echoed by TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja who said that women “no longer want free things.”

But the formula remains pegged on the requirement that for political parties to get funding from the National Treasury, they have to ensure more women are elected through their respective parties.

The Inter Parliamentary Union Expert Mission on Women Participation and Representation in Parliament drawn from East African countries which  had met National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on Wednesday held talks with the Ethuro on Thursday.

Report by Jackie Maribe