President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga have called for urgent crisis meetings with their MPs ahead of crucial ‘Gender Bill’ vote.
The two party leaders want to rally support for the bill after many MPs indicated they will not pass it during the first debate on Tuesday.
Jubilee and ODM are the two biggest parties in the House with 140 and 62 MPs respectively.
Those opposed to the bill claim it will open a door for "slay queens to slay or massage their way into the national assembly".
The bill is set to be put to vote on Wednesday next week.
It requires a two-thirds majority or 233 of the 349 MPs in the National Assembly to amend Article 97 of the Constitution and pave way for additional 21 nominated women in parliament.
Jubilee and ODM have called Parliamentary Group meetings on Tuesday to try and whip their MPs to attend Wednesday’s sitting.
ODM chairman John Mbadi affirmed to the Star that they will hold separate Parliamentary Group meetings next week to persuade their members to vote for the bill.
“The bill is meant to help the country realize the right to equality and freedom from discrimination for women as stipulated in the 2010 Constitution,” Raila remarked.
NASA principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi noted the bill’s benefits outweigh the costs.
Kalonzo mentioned that Parliament risks being dissolved because it is not properly constituted as required by the two-thirds gender rule.
"I’m aware some of your male colleagues have in the past frustrated the passing of the bill through outright refusal to support it or by simply walking out during voting so as to deprive the House of the requisite numbers required for it to pass," the Wiper party leader stated.
