The route we are following as Parliament is not a total solution to the gender parity issue in this country. I think it is just a partial solution. There are loopholes in the Bill. It is an attempt at solving a very complex problem using a very lazy legislation.
The defect in the Bill is that its supporters seem to assume the two-third-gender rule is based on the 290 constituencies. That is not true. It is based on the total number of members in the House, that is 349. The House does not require 22 members to bridge the gap as others have suggested but 43 members.
The problem lies in our electoral process. For example, our elections are so viciously fought that women cannot cope. As Parliament, I think we should go further and start the process of addressing the underlying issues through sweeping amendments to the existing electoral laws to bring about proportional representation.
We should change the electoral system to bring about proportional representation. In my view, that way the gender issue will be resolved and the viciousness of elections will be a thing of the past.
However, as Parliament races against time to enact this gender-parity enabling legislation, there is a big problem if MPs fail to pass the Bill.
Of course most MPs have spoken openly in support of the Bill and I hope they will walk the talk during voting. There is a danger that Parliament would be dissolved if the law is defeated.
If the Bill fails to sail through and the House is dissolved, MPs will have to start the process afresh. In the fresh Bill, the House can consider proportional representation to solve the gender problem once and for all.
Gender parity in representation should be progressive.
Over the years we have seen the number of women in elective positions increasing gradually from two or three at Independence to the current 23 in the National Assembly.
They are trying to push something which is unnatural. If we want the two-thirds gender rule to work, we must change electoral laws.
The Ford Kenya secretary general and Tongaren MP spoke to the Star