The concern of parties that push MPs to vote for a bill on gender equality

MEPs will today approve or reject a bill to increase the number of women represented in Parliament – the Senate and the National Assembly.

The 2018 Kenya Constitution (Amendment) Bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale, aims to ensure that both houses comply with the Constitution by respecting the two-thirds principle.

Duale told MPs yesterday that MPs would vote as he communicated to the House last week.

"We are voting tomorrow on the bill. Who said we would postpone the vote? We will adopt it as it is, "he said.

Last Friday, Duale met with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in Nairobi before accompanying Vice President William Ruto to a fundraising event in Garissa County. The details of the meeting remain unknown.

Informed sources said that various political parties could hold separate parliamentary group meetings to bad their MPs before the vote.

The bill requires the support of 233 deputies (two-thirds of the members) to be adopted. If the document goes through the floor of the House and is signed by the Speaker, it will come into force after the general election of 2022.

Read: Uhuru, Raila summons MPs for gender bill

Article 81 of the Constitution states that no more than two-thirds of the members of public elected bodies must be of the same bad. The special seats – in accordance with the bill – should ensure that the bicameral chamber complies with the two-thirds rule of gender equality after 20 years.

"A 20-year sunset clause is included in the amendment with an option of renewal for an additional fixed period of 10 years as it is expected that enormous progress has been made in this regard. regarding gender parity among elected deputies ", the bill reads.

A similar bill was pbaded in the previous Parliament after male legislators rallied to reject the motion by withdrawing. The current bill also seeks to limit the appointment of a person to Parliament or two-term county bademblies.

Uhuru, Ruto, Raila Odinga, leader of the ODM party, and Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper gathered MPs to pbad the bill. The Kenyan Women's Parliamentary Association has met with party leaders, the Kenya Editors Guild, other lawmakers and civil society to garner support for the bill.

Read also: Review day as more and more MPs oppose the two-thirds bill

Click here for the latest political news