Kenyan women governors seek support for two gender bills — Nation Kenya
In Kenya, the G7 Women Governors’ Alliance plans to secure cross-party support for the adoption of two bills to amend the Constitution. The initiative is led by Kirinyaga and Homa Bay county governors Anne Waiguru and Gladys Wanga.
As Nation Kenya reports, the governors plan to appeal not only to individual parliamentarians but also to the leaders of parties represented in parliament. They aim for both documents to become laws before the 2027 general elections.
Changes for the National Assembly
The first document, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is registered in the National Assembly under No. 29. It provides for amendments to Article 97 of the Constitution: it proposes creating special seats so that, among lawmakers elected in single-member constituencies, the share of representatives of one gender does not exceed two-thirds.
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The bill also amends Article 90 of the Constitution and establishes a mechanism for allocating special seats for women through party lists. The number of such seats is proposed to be determined after the announcement of general election results.
Party lists and representation of persons with disabilities
The second document, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2025, is registered in the Senate under No. 16. It also concerns Article 90 and provides for a more transparent and democratic procedure for party members’ participation in compiling candidate lists.
The bill contains formulas for complying with the principle under which representatives of one gender cannot make up more than two-thirds of the membership, as well as provisions for at least 5% representation of persons with disabilities in the National Assembly and the Senate. Waiguru said that compliance with the gender rule is a constitutional obligation, not a concession to women. According to the publication, since Kenya’s Constitution was adopted, more than 11 parliamentary attempts to introduce this rule have failed.
