Kenya’s high wage bill could shoot up if the proposed constitutional amendment to increase the number of Members of Parliament sails through.
A new bill sponsored by Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Dualee proposes creation of special seats for women to ensure the bicameral Parliament complies with the two-thirds gender rule.
“The Bill seeks to give effect to the two-thirds gender principle through the creation of special seats,” it reads.
“That will ensure that the gender principle is realised in Parliament over a period of twenty years from the next general election,” the Bill states.
This comes even as Thirdway Alliance presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot last week issued a notice of referendum to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), seeking to reduce the number of elective posts in the country.
Ekuru argues that the number of elective posts is too high and should be slashed in order to save taxpayers’ the huge wage bill burden.
Duale’s bill states that the number of special seats will be determined after the General Elections and shall be shared among political parties based on their strength in Parliament.
The Constitution provides that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender. The 12th Parliament has, however, fallen short of the two-thirds gender principle, which renders it unconstitutionally formed.
“The State shall take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender,” reads part of the constitution of Kenya, 2010.
The current Parliament, which has 349 MPs, requires an additional 53 women MPs for it to attain the two-thirds gender rule.
An amendment to the…
An amendment to the constitution should be held to remove the 1/3 gender nonsense.It should also reduce by half the number of constituencies/MPs,MCAs starting with scrapping the women rep and all nominated posts.Useless money guzzling Senate must also to be scrapped.Funding of useless political parties must be stopped,yaani the parties should be financed by their members not all Kenyans.Kenyans must wake up and force the downsizing the bloated/expensive govt by half.
I would support 349 minus…
I would support 349 minus 106 + 53 so that the tax payer can survive a little longer in months not years. I hope Duale will be recalled at home either to resign or withdraw. Only that.
Scrape Senate, reduce NA MPs…
Scrape Senate, reduce NA MPs from 349 to 209. No need for nominated MPs. Wage bill is too high for no good reason at all. Kenya is currently overrepresented, with roles duplicated all over.Referendum to remedy this a must.
I totally concur with …
I totally concur with @Rumbwa. We should have constitutional referendum to get rid of 1/3 rule, senate, women’s rep, MCAs and, most of all, nominated positions into elected bodies and funding of political parties using public funds. Nominated MCAs, MPs and senators is an archaic system devised only to reward political cronies at tax payers expense. In California which is nearly the same size as Kenya in terms of geographical area and population has a legislative body with less than 60 member of the Assembly and much fewer Senators compared with Kenya’s 290 elected MPs plus 47 elected women’s reps and 47 elected senators. On top of that, we have 1450 elected MCAs. Wow!! That’s clearly overrepresented!! California counties are managed mostly by on 4 members of elected councellors whereas Kenya has 5 MCAs per constituent …. Huge difference by any measure. If Duale’s bill becomes law (which it will because our Nationally Assembly and the Senate are made up of ravaging pigs which know only how to feed themselves), then we will have 402 or more MPs vs. 435 elected members in the entire US House of Representatives!!! At this rate our pig minded politicians will bankrupt our country with unsustainable burden on the treasury … Most of it going to pay elected officials and appointed commissioners most of them with overlapping duties and responsibilities. We can and must do better or we will perish together like fools!!