The Cabinet yesterday targeted women's votes by proposing to create 50 special seats for them in a new 300-member House.The seats which are part of the 90 new ones to be created ahead of the December General Election, will be reserved for nominated women MPs.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, Ms Martha Karua, has defended her proposal to set aside 50 seats for women in Parliament. Karua said more women should be nominated as the current Parliament had only two per cent women representation.
Health minister, Mrs Charity Ngilu, emerged as the preferred female presidential candidate with 61 per cent followed by Nazlin Umar with 12 per cent and Mrs Beth Mugo garnering seven per cent
Kenya's parliament will soon debate a constitutional amendment bill to improve female representation in the legislature by creating 50 special seats for women. At present, only some eight percent of parliamentary posts in the East African country are occupied by women.
Opposition to the creation of 50 parliamentary seats for women grew yesterday with trade unions and a Cabinet minister joining in.
A government-backed bill to allocate Kenyan women more seats in parliament flopped Wednesday due to a lack of quorum.The bill was seeking a guarantee of 50 out of 222 seats when the country votes in general elections later this year.
The women's quest for increased representation in Parliament has received the financial backing of an international donor. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said it would offer financial support for women running for parliamentary and civic seats in the General Election.
Posters, campaign appearances, radio spots and television adverts: all are essential for winning office in Kenya's general elections, set for December, and all cost money that parliamentary candidates are responsible for raising in this East African country.
The Dandora civic aspirant in the coming General Election, was recently beaten by three men and warned against carrying on with her campaigns.
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