Women leaders have called on Members of Parliament to support two bills seeking to address gender imbalance in the National Assembly and Senate, renewing efforts to implement the two-thirds gender rule more than 16 years after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
The appeal was made on Tuesday, October 13, during a high-level women’s leadership meeting convened by the Council of Governors’ G7 caucus in Nairobi, bringing together women governors, legislators, senior government officials and political aspirants to discuss women’s representation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who read the meeting’s communiqué, said women needed to push their political agenda collectively to secure greater representation in decision-making positions.
Women leaders advocate for gender equality
The leaders urged women MPs to rally support for the two legislative proposals, which seek to introduce additional parliamentary seats to address the gender imbalance and help meet the constitutional requirement that neither gender should occupy more than two-thirds of positions in elective and appointive public bodies.
The renewed appeal comes as Parliament continues to grapple with the implementation of the constitutional principle, which has remained unresolved since 2010.
One proposal, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill No. 29 of 2025, is sponsored by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi and Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri.
The bill proposes a system under which additional special seats would be determined after each General Election to address any shortfall in gender representation in the National Assembly and Senate.
A separate proposal, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill No. 16 of 2025, was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot. It also seeks to establish a mechanism for addressing gender imbalance through additional seats, although the two proposals contain different provisions.
Proposals for addressing gender imbalance
The need for a workable mechanism has been underscored by the low number of women elected to Parliament. According to reporting by The Eastleigh Voice on October 6, 2026, only 29 women were elected to the National Assembly in the 2022 General Election, while three women were elected to the Senate.
The women leaders also called for greater financial support for women seeking elective positions, from Members of County Assemblies to the presidency, arguing that campaign financing remains an important consideration in efforts to increase women's participation in politics.
Support for women in politics
The meeting further examined the need for women leaders to support one another, with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga warning that women had to work together to achieve their shared aspirations for representation.
Wanga said women in leadership faced a choice between uniting to advance their representation agenda and pursuing separate paths that could undermine their collective efforts.
Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau highlighted policies introduced by President William Ruto's administration to support women in leadership, while participants called for more action, including a 50:50 approach to government appointments.
The leaders said greater participation by women in decision-making would help ensure their concerns were reflected in government policies and leadership priorities.
