President Uhuru Kenyatta has finally spoken about the proposed referendum, hinting that there indeed will be a change of constitution.
Speaking in Juja PCEA Parish on Sunday, Uhuru urged lawmakers to pass the proposed Gender Bill set to be tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
He advised its opposers that they do not have to worry about the wage bill expansion set to follow the passage of the Garissa Township lawmaker Aden Duale-sponsored bill.
Uhuru noted that the seats would be there for only a short time anyway, a demonstration that he might be in support of the ongoing push by opposition leader Raila Odinga to scrap some positions through a referendum.
The Head of State was speaking in his native Kikuyu language.
“Na nii ndiramenya nikii kiramumakia. Muramamakio nikii na thutha wa kahinda kidigo tu iti icio ni iguthira.
(I do not know what you're worried about, after all, this is for a short while and these seats will no longer exist)," he is quoted by the Standard.
About the push likely to cause division in the house on Tuesday, Uhuru challenged lawmakers to not let the nation down by blocking the bill, while to the same time urging women to stand up and not wait for nominations.
“Women are the majority in this country. So let them stand up and face these men in elections. Do not just sit down and wait to be nominated.
Do not fear, you are born with leadership in you. It is men who instil fear in you and make you shy away from challenging them in elections,” he is further quoted.