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Sexism guided Marriage Bill debate, nominated MPs complain

She however admitted that their impact in the House was greatly weakened by the absence of other women MPs who are attending an Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in New York.

“We were 30 (out of 69 female MP) of us in the House, we did our best, we even staged a walk-out to protest what was going on. But there was not so much that we could do,” said the Nyandarua County Woman Representative.

There 16 female legislators and 47 County Woman Representatives who were elected directly to the National Assembly.

Six women legislators were nominated to the National Assembly by TNA, ODM, URP, Wiper and Ford-Kenya who shared out 11 seats based on the party’s strength in the lower House.

Mwaura backed her saying that some of the clauses that had been inserted into the Bill had negated the spirit of gender equity and equality as envisioned in the Constitution.

“It was irresponsible for Parliament to have been able to pass that bill, I was able to experience a lot of chauvinism, ignorance and yet this is the same Parliament that is arguing that we should reduce representation,” said Mwaura who is living with Albinism.
Female MPs in Kenya stormed out of Thursday’s late-night parliamentary session in a row over the legalisation of polygamy.

The law is intended to bring civil law, where a man is only allowed one wife, into line with customary law, where some cultures allow multiple partners.

But male MPs voted to amend the new marriage bill to allow men to take as many wives as they like without consulting existing spouses.

The marriage bill now awaits presidential assent before it becomes law.

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