Why vote on a gender equality bill may be delayed :: Kenya

The leaders of the National Assembly plan to delay the vote on the draft law on gender equality, scheduled for Wednesday tomorrow.

This delay is supposed to allow time for additional lobbying while the majority of MPs are plotting to reject it.

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The ruling Jubilee Party and the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had scheduled separate meetings for parliamentary groups to pressure MPs to support the bill. on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment), 2018.

But the meetings were canceled at the last minute, the parties quoting the conference on the blue economy taking place at the Kenyatta International Convention Center.

ODM Secretary of Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi said the PG had been postponed indefinitely.

Crisis meeting

The House Business Committee was to hold a crisis meeting in the evening after the vote. Standard learned that the committee was considering suspending it until next year.

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"This evening we will have a House Affairs Committee meeting to decide whether to vote on Wednesday (today) or to suspend it. We could consider postponing it beyond next week, "said a member of the committee.

The National Assembly has to go to the Christmas holidays on December 6th, which means that if the vote is postponed beyond next week, the vote could be held at the earliest in February.

MPs opposed to the "gender equality supplement" cited abuses by political party leaders and asked for a clear framework for appointments before they could support the bill.

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They said the appointment slots had already been used to reward parents, friends and girlfriends of the party's highest officials.

The bill requires the adoption of a two-thirds majority vote (233 deputies).