A new Bill, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, that seeks to create special seats in both the National Assembly and Senate, is in the pipeline.
In the Bill, sponsored by Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, and Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri, the seats will be allocated to political parties after an election to give effect to the two-thirds gender rule. As it is a Money Bill, it will trigger occasional public expenditure, with the seats will be allocated proportionately to the number of seats won by the party. "The principal object of this Bill is to amend the Constitution to ensure that the membership of the National Assembly and the Senate conforms to the two-thirds gender principle provided for in Article 81(b) of the Constitution," it read in part. Members of the National Assembly during a vote to entrench the NG-CDF, NGAAF, and Senate Oversight Fund into the Constitution on July 1, 2025.
Photo National Assembly "The Bill seeks to give effect to the two-thirds gender principle through the creation of special seats that will ensure that the gender principle is realized in Parliament," it added.
In the Bill, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will play a key role as it shall ensure that each political party participating in a general election nominates and submits a list of all the persons who would stand elected if the party were to be entitled to all the seats as provided in the Bill.
