Nyachae urges MPs to implement Bills on two-thirds gender rule

The Commission for the Implementation of Commission (CIC) chair Charles Nyachae has urged the National Assembly to expedite the process of implementing The Duale Bill and the Constitutional Amendment Bill that seek to fast track the implementation of two-thirds gender rule.

In a press briefing held on Thursday, the commission urged the National Assembly to further put in place the necessary framework to ensure the implementation of the principle that not more than two thirds of members of the National Assembly and the Senate are of one gender.

“As the country knows, this subject has been expensively discussed in all quarters and has even been subjected to discussion before the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court,” said Nyachae.

“Whereas the court indicated that the principle is progressive and need not be effected for the for the 2013 General Elections, the court provided the guidance that the necessary framework must be in place by the August 27th, 2015.”

CIC stated that it had held consultations coordinated by the Attorney General Appointed Technical Working Group leading to a directive of the Constitutional Court that the AG must develop a Bill to submit to Parliament.

The Bill was tabled by the National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and went through the first reading.

“The First Reading of the Bill was done on July 30^th, 2015 and we wonder why it’s taking long for the National Assembly to do the Second Reading. We expected it to be done two weeks ago we are surprised that this is yet to happen.”

“CIC would like to call the attention of the Speakers and members of both the National Assembly and the Senate on the need to quickly process and pass this law.”

The commission also called for the implementation of the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2015 to make give the  effect to Article 8(1B) of the Constitution ensuring that not more than two-third of the members of elective public bodies of the same gender

The Bill also seeks to establish women campaign fund to support women candidates during elections and also provide for 79 per cent of the political parties fund to be distributed proportionally to political parties according to the number of women elected in each party.

The Bill also seeks to ensure that 5 per cent of the fund is distributed to youth, persons with disability, ethnic and other minorities and 5 per cent reserved for the administration expense of the fund.

It also seeks to provide criterion for nominating female candidates to the National Assembly, County Assembly and Senate where the number of elected female members falls short of the required allocation.

In the new Law, political parties taking art in nomination of candidates for parliamentary elections to prepare party list consisting of the names of all female candidates showing the percentage of votes garnered.

The Election Law Bill will amend the first schedule of the Political Parties Act to ensure protection of the Right of all Persons participating in the political process while giving the Registrar of political parties powers to de-register a party that does not comply with the not more than two-third gender principle.

CIC’s term is set to expire in ten days, after the completion of their five year Constitutional term.