Former Gichugu MP and Cabinet Minister Martha Karua Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOWPA) in Naivasha.[Photo/The Standard]

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The number of women’s representation in parliament has risen to over 23 percent from 20.6 percent for the period lasting 8 years to 2018.This is according to the speech of Senate speaker Ken Lusaka, which was read on his behalf during a three-day retreat of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOWPA) in Naivasha by Senator Professor Margaret Kamar.

The implementation of the two third gender rule has one of the greatest challenges in increasing the number of women in parliament. Regardless of the obstacle, women representation in parliament has been on the rise since the promulgation of the constitution in 2010.

“In confronting these challenges, you must enlist the support of your male counterparts through persuasive dialogue and articulation of key issue facing women,” said Kamar.

On her part, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi commended the increasing curve of the two third gender rule observing and commending the recent election in which three women governors and a significant number of women MPs.

The challenges notwithstanding, Kenya has managed to climb n ranks to be at the sixth position in East Africa as a country with a huge number of women in parliament trailing behind South Sudan who have 28.5 percent representation.

The first four includes Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda at 61 percent, 36 percent, 36 percent, and 34 percent respectively.