President William Ruto has been challenged to walk the talk to ensure the elusive two-thirds gender rule is realized in the country.
Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga says the commitment communicated by President Ruto should be followed by action and not mere talk.
Ruth says her party coalition, Azimio La Umoja, had started practicing the gender inclusivity as enshrined in the Constitution.
"Our party leader Raila Odinga had his running mate being a woman, Martha Karua, so we need action not just talking," she said.
She welcomed the move that was announced by the President on Thursday affirming his commitment to make gender inclusivity a reality.
President Ruto says going forward in his party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, women will be alternating with men in the presidential ticket.
"We must also agree that going forward if a man is a candidate for president in our party, the woman must be the running mate, and if a woman is a candidate then man can be a running mate," the president said.
Ruth says the arrangement is a step in the right direction and will influence the attainment of the two-thirds gender rule.
Speaking in Nyakach Constituency on Thursday when she led the distribution of solar panels and water tanks to farmers purchased through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), Ruth says the race to have more women Governors in Nyanza region is on course.
"Already we have one Governor (Galdys Wanga), in 2027 I promised you we will have more to conform to the Constitution," she said.
Ruth further decried the bottlenecks in the distribution of sanitary pads to women and girls within the community.
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She says women reps offices should be accorded the function to distribute the free sanitary towels.
"We had asked to be allowed as women reps offices to procure these pads so that it can be devolved to the countie instead of having it being done by the Ministry of Gender," she said.
Ruth says the system where the Gender Ministry does the procurement then pads channeled to the offices of County Commissioners for distribution to primary schools is not effective since they do not know how the schools were identified.
"We have even asked to be allowed to have factories within our counties so that we can be able to make our own sanitary towels, we can employ women and youth to work in these factories," she said.
She noted that the issues are before Parliament and they have come together as 47 women r
