The National Assembly Committee on Social Protection has rejected the proposed National Policy for Women’s Economic Empowerment, citing a lack of clear implementation structures and concerns over duplication of the constitutional mandate held by the 47 Women Representatives.
The policy, developed by the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action under the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, was presented before the Committee in a meeting with the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
Chaired by MP Alice Ng’ang’a, the Committee strongly questioned the rationale behind the policy, warning that it risks undermining existing institutions that have proven effective in promoting women’s empowerment.
“We support every effort that empowers women,” said Ng’ang’a. “But we cannot sit and watch a policy roll out that risks weakening institutions already delivering results. If something is working, don’t create a parallel system; reinforce it,” She said.
NGAAF CEO Roy Sasaka Telewa echoed the Committee’s concerns, stressing the need for the policy to clearly identify the implementing agency.
“The policy must expressly state who the implementing agency is. If it is NGAAF, then it must operate within existing frameworks so that efforts complement rather than duplicate.” Telewa told the Committee
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Members of the Committee warned that if left unaddressed, the policy could dilute the progress achieved by NGAAF and the offices of Women Representatives.
County Woman Representative for Mombasa County Zamzam Mohammed raised objections over attempts to implement the policy at the county level without proper stakeholder engagement.
“Counties already have their own budgets. This appears to be coming through the back door. The Cabinet Secretary must clearly explain what the intent is,” she said.
While affirming their support for women’s empowerment and government-led initiatives, the Committee emphasized that Parliament’s oversight role must be respected and that public resources should be channeled through existing, proven mechanisms.
The Committee is scheduled to hold a follow-up meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Gender in the coming weeks for further interrogation of the policy.
By Obegi Malack
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