Members of the National Assembly have promised  to develop a bi-partisan approach to realizing the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule for elective positions which has  continued to stall in Parliament.

Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) said as a House they have embarked on the process of realizing the two-thirds gender rule, in terms of representation in this national Assembly, adding that Parliament will work with all women.

“I say this as a father of four very beautiful girls. I know when we fight for women's rights, we not only do it for them but also the society at large,” said Ichung’wah.

Hon. Ichung'wa spoke when  the National Assembly leadership hosted the East Africa Women’s League.

“I commend the Women’s League for the work they have done over the years. I also encourage them to work with the male legislators back in their constituencies to ensure that we pass the two-thirds gender rule to see that women not only vote but also represent the greater population of Kenya,” he added.

In her contribution, Hon. Martha Wangari ( Gilgil) said women are no longer just voters but they run for elective positions. "We have entrenched affirmative action in the Constitution. In fact, in this Parliament, we boast of 102 women who represent their population in different parts of Kenya, both in the Senate and the National Assembly,” said Hon. Wangari.

“We hope that as women leaders in this House, we can have some time to interact with them. Also, as we fight to ensure that we attain the two-thirds gender rule in the Constitution, we hope that this will go a long way to ensure that our girls from the villages, in Africa, and in the world can learn from Kenya. They will learn to be at the forefront in terms of ensuring there is gender parity in leadership not just as voters, but also as leaders,” she added.

Hon. Jared Okello (Nyando) pointed out that it has been over a century since women started fighting for what he termed their birthright. 

“I am very perturbed that the process of democratization within our womenfolk has been too gradual. A hundred years down the line, fighting for what is due to them is way too long but they are not losing hope,” said Hon. Okello. 

“We know that at one given time of their lifetime, they will have equal rights. There are inscriptions all over the place on the just government of men. We wonder what happened to the womenfolk who play a very pivotal role in the economic and democratization processes of our nations,” he added.

Quoting the citations of the former United States of America (USA) President Barack Obama, when he visited Kenya, Hon. Okello said “if we would give our women equal opportunity as men, this nation would be much better because then it is akin to having one side of your football league participating in a match”

“I hope that together we shall make our women realize all the rights that they have been fighting for,” Hon. Okello added. 

Hon. Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe) said he will work with female legislators in the constituencies to ensure they reclaim their seats. “For those who also want to become Members of Parliament, you should be assured that we are going to assist you. There is room for you to compete,” said Hon. Mwinyi

“I want to emphasize here that in society today, women play a very important role. They are the ones who attend meetings in schools, they are the ones who take care of the children, and they are the ones who even fend for the children in society. I think it is high time they raised the bar and came to the national limelight to serve this nation with distinction,” Hon. Mwinyi added.

Hon. Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town) noted that the women of Kenya had come from far because they have been given equal opportunities with their male counterparts. “That is why we are here today. We would like to remind everyone of us that these are the same women we went to school with in primary school, in secondary and shared university classes with. That is why even in leadership, we want to be at the table making decisions. We celebrate every woman who has taken a step to make a difference in this country and the entire world,” said Hon. Ng’ang’a.