General
Assistantminister Elizabeth Ongoro yesterday empathised with families of the fourpost-election violence suspects saying they have already endured enough punishment. She saidalthough the four Kenyans facing trial at the International Criminal Court areinnocent until proved guilty, their families are already enduring agony. “Kenyansare very anxious, including the accused and their relatives,” she said inNairobi yesterday.
The NairobiMetropolitan Development assistant minister said women showed theneeded leadership during the 2007 post-election turmoil. “If we hadenough women in political positions we probably would not have experienced whatwe had in 2007,” she said in Nairobi during a meeting to announce plans tolaunch the Kenya Women’s National Charter through which women political aspirants willmake demands. The charter, which was developed by Women’s Empowerment Link in collaborationwith 34 civil society organisations, including the Federation of Women Lawyers,calls for more participation in leadership and governance.
The charteralso calls for improved policies on women’s employment and welfare rights andfull implementation of all the laws enacted prohibiting retrogressive andharmful cultural practices such as the laws against FGM. “This chartergives voters confidence, that a vote for a woman is a vote well cast. It is alist of demands for a better future for Kenyan women – whether relating to fairwages or equal access to education, Ongoro said.
Grace Mbugua, director of Women’s Empowerment Link, said more than 500 womenrunning for different political positions in the forthcoming general electionare expected at the launch at the Bomas of Kenya on Friday. “In 2010,Bomas was a landmark in Kenya’s constitution, in 2012; it will be a landmark inwomen’s politics,” she said.