Women MPs vow to boycott referendum after gender bill flops

Women MPs addressing the media at Parliament buildings after the third gender bill was defeated for the fourth time on February 27, 2019. /Moses Odhiambo
Women MPs addressing the media at Parliament buildings after the third gender bill was defeated for the fourth time on February 27, 2019. /Moses Odhiambo

The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), has threatened to boycott the calls to amend the constitution.

This is after the vote to pass the two-thirds gender bill flopped for the fourth time following quorum hitch in the national assembly.

The MPs were expected to vote for the bill on Wednesday but the motion was lost after only 174 MPs out of the 233 required to participate in the voting were in the chambers.

This prompted Speaker Justin Muturi to declare the motion lost as voting would not proceed with no quorum.

Women parliamentarians then walked of the chambers and started chanting accusing their male counterparts of deliberately sabotaging the process.

Chairperson Women Caucus Alice Wahome said Majority leader Aden Duale was the one to blame for the fate of the bill.

The Kandara member of parliament said as the owner of the bill, Duale did not put in more commitment to mobilise especially his male counterparts to vote for the bill.

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"We are very disappointed. What is even more unfortunate is the fact that Duale was not committed for the bill. He did not do enough on his part in terms of mobilisation and with 174 MPs we knew we could not proceed," Wahome said.

Kenya is heavily pregnant with this gender bill and until it is delivered we shall loudly say no to the referendum. We cannot see the need for a referendum when the gains stipulated in the 2010 constitution are being strangled and trampled upon," she added.

According to Wahome, Kenyan women have continued to suffer oppression and a time has come for liberation.

"We are demanding that this parliament be dissolved, the judiciary intervenes and calls for another election that will see a well constituted parliament. We as women cannot continue to be subjected to lip service, dishonest and hypocrisy of the highest order," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by KEWOPA chairperson Purity Ngirici who said as legislators they did not feel Duale's touch in mobilising support for the bill.

"As women, we know our position, we shall not not go to any election until the minimum threshold stipulated in the constitution is met," she said.

Ngirici who is Kirinyaga's Woman rep said all the women are asking for is a well constituted parliament.

She said it was unfortunate that Duale has displayed a lot of vigor when pushing for agenda sponsored by the government but remained so silent on the gender bill.

"We are not going to be used as rubber stamps, a time has come for us to rise, if they cannot pass the bill we shall also show them that we are equally as important as they are, Ngirici said.

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