Source: Nairobi Star
Women MPs have said they will not budge an inch in the proposal by Cabinet to reduce the one third quota of seats. The MPs and members of a women lobby group said they will fight to the last breath to have the status quo
as entrenched in the new constitution remain.
MPs Rachel Shebesh( Nominated), Joyce Laboso (Sotik), Beatrice Kones (Bomet), Millie Odhiambo (Nominated) and the Prime Minister's wife Ida Odinga said the gains so far made by women should not be reversed.
The women said they will look at the second proposal by the Cabinet on the formula to attain the one third seats for women but said they will not agree to it if it contravenes the content in the constitution.
They said they want special seats designated for women, apart from the competitive seats that will see them battle with the men in the ballot. "This constitution is the best thing that has ever happened to the Kenyan woman and we are prepared to take even our MPs from ODM head on this. The constitution must be followed to the letter," said Millie Odhiambo.
Laboso said they are prepared to battle it out with the men should they insist on cutting the gains so far entrenched in the constitution. "I beg to differ with my colleague parliamentarians over this. We will not budge even an inch, whatever happens we will not take anything less than less than one third. We are not prepared to relinquish our gains and go back to the dark days," said Laboso.
Monica Amollo, the ODM Nyanza branch coordinator said MPs should be reminded of the requirement to amend the constitution saying if they want to change they should call for a referendum to change the clause that they feel favours women.
Shebesh promised a spirited war in Parliament towards safeguarding the gains saying women slot but be designated for women only to vie as in the constitution. The women vow got a nod from ODM whip Jakoyo Midiwo who said that ODM will strive to see that the constitution is implemented to the letter.
Jakoyo however, the slots should not encourage an expansion of parliament saying the 80 more constituencies created will be burdensome to the tax payers. "We can still give women 30 percent slot of all the parliamentary slots with the 210 elective constituencies, we don't need to expand parliament to accommodate women, the number of proposed extra constituencies is over exaggerated", said Jakoyo. Jakoyo said, the 30 percent women representation must be upheld assuring women that they will be granted the slots in the next election.
Lands minister James Orengo who is in the cabinet committee debating the 30 percent slots urged women not to panic saying the 30 percent slots is still a subject of debate but the opportunity will not be taken away. Last week parliament failed to agree on the formula of reserving a third of seats in the National Assembly for women.
The meeting could not agree on whether to reserve some seats or designate specific constituencies for women in the next parliament. Such a ratio must also apply to the Senate.