The Punguza Mzigo Bill on Wednesday has exposed, yet again, the tension between male and female, nominated and elected MCAs in Mombasa county.
The assembly rejected the bill, the 32nd to do so as of Wednesday evening.
The Bill failed to be adopted by 24 counties, the threshold that would send it to Parliament for a vote.
The discussion in Mombasa on the bill centred on Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot’s proposal to reduce the national wage bill by scrapping nomination slots and the woman representative positions.
It also would reduce the total number of lawmakers from 416 to 147.
Female MCAs would hear none of it.
Nominated MCA Amria Juma Boy, who also chairs the Justice and Legal Affairs committee, tabled the committee’s report on the bill, with recommendations to reject it.
She said the gender clause that proposes scrapping of the woman representative positions and nomination of women and other marginal groups, violates affirmative action.
“Affirmative action was established to overcome inequities and inequalities. This bill promotes the same inequities and inequalities that Kenya is trying to do away with,” Boy said.
More than 10 female MCAs accused Aukot of driving a wedge between women and men voters in the country.
They said nomination slots give an opportunity for women leaders to showcase their leadership skills and make contributions.
Nominated MCA Fatma Kushe said scrapping nomination slots might deny Kenyans quality leaders.
Kushe said Aukot is biased against women "yet he is the product of a woman".
However, Jomvu Kuu MCA Athman Shebe, who supported the bill, said taxpayers are overburdened by the ballooning wage bill brought about by the expanded government and overrepresentation.
“A shilling has two sides. But I have only heard one side being talked about by the opponents of the bill. What of the other side?” he asked.
He said the more than 45 million Kenyans are being represented by too many leaders "who do nothing in most cases".
Shebe said most nominated MCAs only follow instructions from their bosses and do not do their oversight role, while getting paid "for doing nothing".
This elicited a sharp reaction from Nominated MCA Milka Moraa who said some of them do more work than the elected MCAs.
“Nominated MCAs are here legally. We represent special interest groups. You cannot say we earn salaries for doing nothing,” she retorted.
The county assembly has recently witnessed a cold war between nominated and elected MCAs.
Only Speaker Aharub Khatri has been able to calm things down in the assembly.
Edited by R.Wamochie
