Source: Daily Nation
Kenyan political parties routinely flout their own policies and manifestos on gender representation.

And, among the big players, President Kibaki's Party of National Unity is the worst culprit, with just 18 per cent of its leadership positions occupied by women.

The party's constitution stipulates that at least a third of leadership positions should go to women. Its manifesto and 2007 election platform commit it to ensuring that at least 30 per cent of all public appointments and elective positions should go to women.

The Democratic Party, once headed by President Kibaki, says in its manifesto that it will ensure that 50 per cent of Cabinet positions and 50 per cent of parastatal heads are women yet only 17 per cent of its leaders are women.

A study conducted by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy whose findings were released at a forum in Nairobi on Tuesday says that this culture of excluding women extends to Parliament, where they formed just nine per cent of members.

The study criticises President Kibaki who, it says, despite frequently making strong pronouncements on gender equality and affirmative action had recently signed an Elections Bill that does not provide a formula for realising the gender representation threshold set in out the Constitution.

Article 27 (8) of the Constitution says the State shall take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that no more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointed bodies shall be of the same gender.

Parties have up to the end of April to comply with the Political Parties Act which seeks to implement this principle in the parties.

"There is a big disconnect between what the parties and leaders promise and what they deliver," Ms Njeri Kabeberi, the CMD executive director told the forum at Laico Regency Hotel which was attended by representatives of political parties.

The study recommends actions at the party and national levels to address the situation as the country approaches the General Election.

At the party level, it recommends, among others, that a mechanism for monitoring parties and holding them accountable on their gender pledges should be set up.

Party members must also hold their organisations to account over their lack of commitment to their policies.

It also suggests that women party members should insist on senior positions instead of being relegated to women only positions.

At the national level, the study says parties should make public their documents on gender positions.

Election promises

The President and the Prime Minister should also be lobbied to rally party members to fulfil election promises.

The forum was sponsored by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

Ms Kabeberi said the study focused on only seven parties which had documents that address gender issues.

At 45 per cent representation in its leadership ranks, Mr Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement is the most women-friendly party.

It is followed by Safina and the Social Democratic Party at 44 per cent each and Narc Kenya at 43 per cent.

Ms Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu of International IDEA said the parties must ensure that the gender gains made in the Constitution are realised.

"Parties must identify, elect and nominate candidates for elections in an objective manner to meet constitutional requirements," Ms Kandawasvika-Nhundu said.

Gender minister Naomi Shaban, who was the chief guest, said Parliament had passed an election law without a formula for realising the two-thirds gender principle.

Mr Justin Muturi, chairman of CMD, said the parties are now obliged by the Constitution to meet all the gender requirements.

"It is no longer business as usual. You cannot afford to pay lip-service to gender equality and equity any more," he said, adding that although there is a new Constitution, some people were "still steeped in old mindsets".

Ms Alice Wahome, the vice chairperson of Narc Kenya, said parties that do not meet the gender requirement should be named and shamed and deregistered.

Ms Martha Karua said no party was exempt from complying with the law but warned that there was a danger of a bloated Parliament, senate and county assemblies because MPs had refused to include a formula on how to realise the two-thirds threshold in the Elections Act.

She said parties should have been obligated to ensure that at least one third of all the candidates they nominated for elective positions were women. However, the male-dominated House had rejected this, saying it was impractical.

"What they are calling impractical is just an unwillingness to implement what is in the Constitution," she said.

The Narc Kenya leader said the formula can still be created by an Act of Parliament without necessarily amending the Constitution and challenged President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to marshal MPs to pass the law.

Ms Karua said this is the formula that parties like the African National Congress of South Africa and Labour of the UK had used to achieve equity in representation.

• Kenya