Speaker Justin Muturi Fires Back at Chief Justice David Maraga over Calls to Dissolve Parliament

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has dismissed Chief Justice David Maraga's calls for the dissolution of Parliament over failure to pass the two-thirds gender rule.

Muturi termed Maraga's advice to President Kenyatta to dissolve both the Senate and National Assembly as unrealistic and an unwarranted attack on the August House.

“We must not lose sight of the real challenges in implementing this matter and turn Parliament into a punching bag on account of gender parity. The clamor for dissolution of the current Parliament on account of failure to enact the two-third gender legislation is at the very least, unrealistic,” Muturi said in a statement.

He said the matter should be subjected to a referendum, adding that dissolving the Parliament and holding by-elections would not guarantee gender parity.

“Given the current efforts and initiatives to amend the Constitution that are currently underway such as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), the issue on two-thirds gender rule can be subjected to a referendum in the event the same happens,” he said.

“Owing to the cost implications of implementing the two-thirds gender rule through other mechanisms such as nomination and topping up, it is prudent if the matter were to be subjected to the people once more for a reevaluation or to propose ways of achieving two-thirds gender rule,” he added.

On Monday, Maraga advised President Uhuru to disband the current Parliament over continued failure to enact legislation required to implement the two-thirds gender rule for over nine years.
 
“It is incontestable that Parliament has not complied with the High Court order, As such, for over 9 years now, Parliament has not enacted the legislation required to implement the two-thirds gender rule which, as the court of Appeal observed in its said judgment, it is a clear testimony of Parliament’s lackadaisical attitude and conduct in this matter."

“Consequently, it is my constitutional duty to advise Your Excellency to dissolve Parliament under Article 261 (7) of the Constitution,” Maraga said in an advisory to Uhuru.