Source: Daily Nation
Many Kenyans support the constitutional provision that women form at least a third of MPs in the next Parliament, a new opinion poll has revealed.
The poll, conducted by Infotrak between August 5 and 8 reveals that 74 per cent of Kenyans support the clause while 78 per cent are aware of its existence.
The revelations are likely to rattle the Cabinet, which last week resolved to drop the provision that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective and appointive public offices shall be of the same gender.
Kenyans have tended to elect more male MPs than women and the tenth Parliament has only 22 female MPs.
The Cabinet said that it would be "technically impossible" to implement the provision in the 2012 elections.
Infotrak sampled 1,200 respondents and covered all the regions.
According to the poll, 55 per cent of those who support the provision are women with only 45 per cent of men throwing their weight behind it.
But slightly more men (51 per cent) than females (49 per cent) are aware of the provision, the poll revealed.
Presidential candidate
It also revealed that 75 per cent of Kenyans have no problem voting for a woman presidential candidate in the 2012 general election.
Gichugu MP Martha Karua is the only woman who has declared her intention to run for the presidency in next year's election.
"We have started experiencing a paradigm shift in the manner Kenyans view women," Infotrak chief executive Angela Ambitho said while releasing the poll results on Friday.
An overwhelming 80 per cent of those interviewed stated that they would vote for a woman to represent them in Parliament if elections are held.