Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro at a past news briefing. [Photo/Youth Village Kenya]

Share news tips with us here at Hivisasa

Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro has accused political parties of not playing their role in ensuring the two-thirds gender rule is implemented.

Ongoro who is eyeing the Kasarani parliamentary seat in the August 8 polls said some of the gains enshrined in the constitution have not been built upon by political parties.

The Senator noted that the recent nominations showed no party was willing to support women aspirants by giving them a level playing field with the aim of attaining the gender rule.

She said there is need for parties to stand firm especially during nominations to ensure the right number of women are nominated to vie for political positions.

 “Having gone through the recent nominations, I have not seen a single political party that has walked the talk on gender rule,” said Ongoro during an interview on KBC television on Tuesday evening.

The Amani National Congress aspirant noted that the had the constitution been implemented to the letter; Kenya could not be facing a crisis on gender rule in politics as is the case now.

“Sometimes I feel like we make strides forward and then backwards. As a nation and as political parties because whatever gains even though are enshrined in the constitution, we don’t see them being implemented to the letter,” she added.

She said women still face challenges such as violence and financial limitations that their predecessors faced despite the new constitutional dispensation. 

“Even though there isn’t so much physical violence meted out against women now, there are new forms of violence such as psychological violence which is worse bearing in mind that women are very emotional beings,” she said.

She made the remarks even as Parliament grapples with passing the gender bill before it is dissolved for the August 8 general election.