Enact 2/3 rule, Parliament illegal, say women lawyers

The Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya yesterday renewed it push to force Parliament to implement the two–thirds gender rule.

Fida sued the Attorney-General, the IEBC and the National Assembly. It said the deadline to enact legislation required to implement the gender principle has lapsed.

The incoming 12th Parliament should be forced to comply with the law, Fida says. It is illegally constituted, it argues.

Under the two-thirds principle, no more than two-thirds of elected or appointed bodies should be of one gender. In other words, at least one-third should be women.

The women lawyers’ organisation, in an urgent High Court application, said the number of elected MPs and MCAs contain less than a third women and more than two-thirds men.

Fida, through Lumallas Achieng Kavere Advocates, faults Parliament for failing to enact the legislation.

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