Teso North MP calls for support of the two-thirds gender principle

Teso North MP Okuu Kaunya wants his fellow lawmakers opposed to the two-thirds gender principle to support the constitutional amendment when the bill is put to vote on Wednesday next week.

The legislator says Kenyans ought to be sensitized on the bill to demystify the notion that it only seeks to create more seats for women in Parliament.

MPs have been debating the Constitutional Amendment Bill which requires 233 members to vote in the affirmative to enable it to sail through to the third reading.

The bill which requires 233 votes to sail through has divided opinion, with some arguing that it may get exposed to abuse by political parties.

Kaunya has however allayed some of the fears, arguing that there was no course for alarm.

East African Youth President Jeremiah Kisangau wants members of parliament to include the youth and people living with disability in the two-thirds gender clause.

A section of MP’s in debating the bill called for stringent measures to be spelt out in the electoral laws that will determine the process of nominations by political parties.

The bill sponsored by the government through Majority leader Aden Duale proposes to amend articles 97 and 98 of the constitution to ensure that both houses of Parliament comply with the two-thirds gender principle.