I would like to say that it is pure hypocrisy to hear the people from the opposition say that the National Dialogue Committee report should not be altered even with a comma.
The leader of the ruling UDA party and the opposition leader Raila Odinga have clearly demonstrated that they have the goodwill for the two-thirds gender rule to be implemented through the Nadco report.
How come their juniors are coming out to say that they don’t want even a comma to be introduced?
For us, women, we feel very much betrayed and we think that it is time we have a genuine conversation so that we know who is for us and who is not for us.
It has come at a time that even the nominated senators in both Houses do not vote. So, we need legislations and regulations that will give impact to the nominations that are given to women.
It should be known that when we talk about gender issues, it is not necessarily that we are speaking about women. It will come a time that we, women, will be so many that the men will come crying to us to pass legislations. But we don’t want it to reach that point, so that will be when they will realise that we needed this legislation.
We have already fronted the amendment. Even our Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa with the team went to see the opposition chief last week.
Today (Wednesday), they met Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka over the same issue, so we hope for the best even as we prepare for the worst.
I insist the bills and the report should be open for amendments. The two-thirds gender rule must be included as we pass all the bills because we have tried in the past and they were futile attempts.
We should allow for a relook into some of these proposals and make them better, like including the two-thirds gender rule.
UDA nominated Senator spoke to the Star