Hey friends kindly read my article together with Hon Gladys Wanga on the daily nation today. women reps are doing their best to serve.... 1 in Share The Women of Kenya have had many reasons to celebrate the Constitution of Kenya promulgated on August 27, 2010. One of the gains of women introduced by the Constitution was Article 97 (1) (b) which provides, in relation to the National Assembly composition, 47 women each elected by the registered voters of the counties, each county constituting a single member constituency. IEBC, in conducting the elections on March 4, 2013, named this the Women Member of the National Assembly Seat. The common name of the seat became Women Representative. There were elected and gazetted 47 Women Members of the National Assembly. This is a new affirmative action seat to increase the number of women in Parliament. Be that as it may, by being labelled women representative, the seat has the traditional roles of a Parliamentarian but with a further expectation to champion the gender agenda in Parliament. Suffice to note that this is an expectation of all women MPs even those elected from constituencies. In fact all women leaders including those serving in the Executive are expected to continue championing the women’s agenda in Kenya. Women Representatives wish to inform the general public that after the election on March 4 and announcement of results, the elected women representatives were gazetted by IEBC on March 13, 2013. They together with other Members of Parliament were sworn in on March 28, 2013. The Women Reps from the 47 counties would meet formally for the first time on March 28. Parliament was adjourned. On April 9, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were sworn in and inaugurated into office. President Kenyatta attended a joint Parliamentary Session of both Senate and the National Assembly on April 16, 2013 to spell out the legislative agenda of his Government. The work of Parliament officially started on April 16. To accuse MPs of not doing anything before this date is to be unfair. It has taken some time for the 349 MPs to settle down and acquire offices both in Nairobi and in the counties. Women Reps have suffered the challenges attendant to this process of settling down. After April 16, the National Assembly started settling down to form its structures -- largely committees. One of the key issues for any MP is to join a committee to serve. The Women Representatives serving in the National Assembly are treated like all other MPs. In fact the new name of Women Representatives is County Members of Parliament as they were elected by everybody at the county -- men, women and youth. The main roles of an MP are law making and legislation; scrutiny of government and oversight and lastly representation of the people. The Women Representatives have a fourth role to champion the women’s agenda as they are an affirmative action seat to increase the number of women in Parliament. One of the early roles of Women Representatives was to join committees and rise in leadership. This objective was achieved. One of the major committees of Parliament is the House Business Committee which has 10 women members, six of them being Women Representatives. In leadership of committees, we have four Women Reps who are Chairs of Education, Regional Affairs, Implementation and Catering Committees. We have other Women Reps who are Vice-Chairs of Legal, Social Welfare and Constitutional Implementation Committees. We have two Women Reps who sit in the Parliamentary Service Commission. It is from the vantage point of the committees that women representatives will be able to champion the women’s agenda. It may not be public but in the committees, women will fight and raise their voices on women’s issues. It is important to note that Women Reps will work and grow from the work done by women MPs over the years under the umbrella organisation Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA). Other Kewopa members chair committees including Environment and Health and serve as vice-chairs in committees for instance Public Accounts Committee. Our chair at KEWOPA is Cecily Mbarire and we do have Dr Laboso as the Deputy Speaker, Dr Naomi Shaaban serving as the Deputy Minority Leader and Beatrice Elachi serving as the Majority Chief Whip in Senate. The women’s agenda will be better advanced by all women MPs not just the Women Reps. Of course male MPs are partners too as are many other leaders. The Women Reps will serve in an environment already appreciating women’s role in leadership as evidenced by President Uhuru and Deputy Ruto. They have appointed women to serve as cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries in critical dockets. Priscilla Nyokabi is the Nyeri County MP and Gladys Wanga is the Homa Bay County MP, wakili.nyokabi@gmail Women Representatives have not been lacking in leadership. Infact they have had one of the most active caucuses bringing together all 47 women reps lead by Hon Priscilla Nyokabi from the Jubilee side and Hon Gladys Wanga from the Cord side
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 08:08:06 +0000
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