A Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been tabled proposing the creation of special seats in the National Assembly and Senate to give effect to the two-thirds gender rule.
The Bill is sponsored by Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, and Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri. It seeks to allocate the additional seats to political parties proportionately after a general election.
“The principal object of this Bill is to amend the Constitution to ensure that the membership of the National Assembly and the Senate conforms to the two-thirds gender principle provided for in Article 81(b) of the Constitution,” the Bill reads in part.
Under the proposal, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will ensure political parties nominate and submit priority lists alternating between male and female candidates, while reflecting Kenya’s regional and ethnic diversity.
The special seats will run for 25 years, with the possibility of a ten-year extension, after which it is expected that Parliament will have attained sustainable gender parity.
For the Bill to pass, it must be supported by not less than two-thirds of members in both houses of Parliament, in line with Article 256 of the Constitution.
Currently, the National Assembly has 349 members, including 47 woman representatives and 12 nominated members, while the Senate has 67 members, of which 16 are women nominated by political parties.
 Bill, 2025, has been tabled proposing the creation of special seats in the National Assembly and Senate to give effect to the two-thirds gender rule.){kind=link}