The Cabinet Secretary Nominee for Gender, Culture, and Heritage Stella Soi Lang’at says she will be hesitant to advise the President to dissolve Parliament over failure to enact legislation to actualize two-thirds gender rule.
She says she will not revisit the radical advice given to the President by Former Chief Justice David Maraga to suspend parliament for allegedly neglecting to fulfill the Constitutional requirement.
“I think the goodwill is there and what we just need is to go deeper and engage members in the National Assembly to give the President support in actualizing the two-third gender rule,”
“There is already existing goodwill from the top leadership in the Executive and this is demonstrated by the number of women who have been nominated to the current cabinet,” she explained her alternative thought on the subject
With the apparent goodwill from the top echelons of power, the Gender CS nominee is optimistic that she can still persuade Members of Parliament to enact relevant legislation.
“I am aware also that the issue of two-third gender rule is a big challenge, especially in the leadership under National Assembly and appointive positions because we are lacking the legislative platforms where operationalizing two-third gender rule is supposed to be guided,” she said
“I believe members sitting in this room will be persuaded to assist the department where I am going to serve if approved by this committee so that we engage in terms of coming up with relevant legislations that will assist us to mainstream two-third gender rule not only in elective positions but also in appointive positions,” she told the Committee on Appointments vetting her suitability to take up the post
Soi, a career administrator of 29 years said she will leverage her experiences in Public Service to make the gender rule a reality.
She reiterates that for the successful mainstreaming of gender in leadership both in electoral and appointive positions, there is a need for the government to come up with legislation to facilitate and operationalize what is already provided for in the country’s Constitution.
“The item on the two-third gender rule is a big challenge, and the State Department in which I have been nominated to serve has come up with initiatives in this regard. As we are sitting in this room, I am aware there are initiatives under the National Gender and Equality Commission and proposals to initiate issues on the amendment of the constitution to address the gaps,” she explained
