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MPs sabotage Gender Bill, again

By David Mwere February 27th, 2019 1 min read

Vote on the two-thirds gender bill flopped Wednesday for a record fourth time following a quorum hitch.

At the beginning of the House session, 164 members were in the chambers, but a few minutes into the session, the number increased to 174.

For the bill to sail through, it requires two-thirds majority or at least 233 of the 349 MPs in the National Assembly.

The hitch came despite President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga and Mr Kalonzo rallying lawmakers to support the bill that would ensure women one-third of seats in Parliament — or risk plunging the country into a constitutional crisis.

Court rulings since 2012 have directed Parliament to pass legislation to enforce the gender rule or risk being dissolved — but previous attempts have failed with female MPs accusing male lawmakers of deliberately blocking efforts.

If parliament is dissolved, a General Election would need to be called.