Why does it need to be anchored on public interest - when it firmly secured in the constitution.
The Constitution of Kenya 2010 in Article 27(
of the Bill of Rights provides that: “The State shall take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.”
Also Article 81(B) - emphasis this point
he electoral system shall comply with the following principles--
(a) freedom of citizens to exercise their political rights under Article 38;
(b) not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender;
(c) fair representation of persons with disabilities;
(d) universal suffrage based on the aspiration for fair representation and equality of vote; and
(e) free and fair elections, which are--
(i) by secret ballot;
(ii) free from violence, intimidation, improper influence or corruption;
(iii) conducted by an independent body;
(iv) transparent; and
(v) administered in an impartial, neutral, efficient, accurate and accountable manner.
This is a very dicey situation. I'm all for gender balance. The same Parliament that enacts laws has failed to enact a particular law for gender balance. Now public interest is being cited. Except for straitjacket implementation of the letter of the gender law, nobody has demonstrated that failure to enact gender rules has affected public interest. On the other hand it can be demonstrated that a bloated Parliament with idle women reps has badly affected the image of Parliament and drained the public coffers without corresponding returns. Also the same public is the one that voted male MPs. So public interest cannot be demonstrated outside a referendum or BBI.