Female Parliamentarians Rally National Support to Realise Two-Thirds Gender Rule

Nairobi, Monday, July 6, 2026 — Women parliamentarians have renewed calls for a united national effort to finally implement the Constitution’s Two-Thirds Gender Rule ahead of the next General Election, saying the longstanding constitutional requirement can only be achieved through broad-based collaboration across all sectors of society.

The legislators, led by Nominated Senator Veronica Maina, made the appeal during a legislative forum convened by Mzalendo with support from Uraia and the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya and Somalia. The forum brought together members of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), legislators, and other stakeholders to deliberate on practical strategies for increasing women’s representation in elective leadership.

Senator Veronica Maina emphasized that attaining the constitutional gender principle requires bipartisan commitment and coordinated action involving Parliament, political parties, the media, civil society organisations, development partners, and the public.

During the forum, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari expressed concern that 16 years after the promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has yet to meet the constitutional threshold requiring that no more than two-thirds of members of elective and appointive bodies be of the same gender.

She called for a change in approach, urging Parliament, the media, civil society organisations, development partners, and citizens to work together in building consensus on practical and sustainable measures to realise the constitutional principle.

According to Wangari, achieving the Two-Thirds Gender Rule is not solely the responsibility of women leaders but a national obligation that requires collective commitment to strengthen democracy, inclusivity, and equal representation.

The proposal received support from *Machakos Woman Representative Joyce Kamene, **Mandera Woman Representative Umul Ker Kassim, **Nominated MP Irene Mayaka, and nominated Senators *Catherine Mumma and Esther Okenyuri, who emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation and cross-sector partnerships in advancing gender equality in leadership.

The legislators noted that support from male lawmakers and political leaders will be critical in building the consensus necessary to enact legislative and policy reforms that promote greater participation of women in elective politics.

Joyce Kamene challenged women leaders to mentor and support aspiring female candidates while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and leadership.

She observed that women in public office are often subjected to greater scrutiny than their male counterparts and encouraged female leaders to serve as role models capable of inspiring confidence among voters and future generations of women leaders.

Umul Ker Kassim stressed that efforts to increase women’s representation must extend beyond conference halls and policy discussions to grassroots communities, where public attitudes toward women’s leadership are shaped.

She called for sustained civic engagement and community mobilisation to encourage more women to contest elective positions, including as Members of County Assembly, Members of Parliament, Senators, and Governors.

The legislators agreed that meaningful progress towards implementing the Two-Thirds Gender Rule will require continuous public awareness, political goodwill, institutional reforms, and sustained collaboration among Parliament, civil society, the media, development partners, political parties, and citizens.

The forum concluded with a renewed commitment by women parliamentarians, under the leadership of Senator Veronica Maina, to work across party lines and alongside other stakeholders to advance constitutional reforms and create a more inclusive political landscape that guarantees equal opportunities for women in leadership and decision-making.