Ruto reneges on 'half Cabinet for women' pledge
Kenya Kwanza women charter conference at Nyayo National Stadium on June 10, 2022.
What you need to know:
- In June, in the run-up to the August polls, Dr Ruto signed a charter with women at Nyayo Stadium, where he promised them 50 per cent of his Cabinet.
- He pledged to make women equal partners in his government, saying they would be the face of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
President William Ruto yesterday failed to honour his election campaign pledge of giving women 50 per cent of the Cabinet slots.
Only seven women made it to President Ruto’s Cabinet line-up that was unveiled at State House, Nairobi, falling shot with four.
In June, in the run-up to the August polls, Dr Ruto signed a charter with women at Nyayo Stadium, where he promised them 50 per cent of his Cabinet.
“I commit on behalf of Kenya Kwanza Alliance that we shall allocate 50 per cent of all Cabinet positions to the women of Kenya.”
Dr Ruto said during the event that allocation would be the best way to bridge gender inequality in the country.
However, in unveiling his line-up that will assist in fulfilling his other election pledges, only Susan Wafula (Health), Florence Bore (Labour), Penina Malonza (Tourism), Soipan Tuya (Environment), Aisha Jumwa (Public Service), Rebecca Miano (East Africa Community) and Alice Wahome (Water) made it to the final cut.
Of the seven, some are politicians, with Ms Wahome now set to resign as Kandara MP, having been elected on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in the August polls.
Ms Jumwa, on the other hand, vied for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat but was floored by ODM candidate Gideon Mung’aro, while former Narok woman representative Soipan Tuya was prevailed upon to step down in favour of her gubernatorial rival.
Cabinet Secretary posts are fixed at a maximum of 22 under the Constitution, meaning 11 of the appointments should have gone to women. He, however, has some leeway on the number of people he can appoint as Principal Secretaries, the top-cadre public servants responsible for managing ministries.
During the signing of the charter with women, President Ruto also pledged to make women equal partners in his government, saying they will be the face of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“I commit that the women will have a 50 per cent access to the Sh50 billion Hustler Fund without any conditions or interest.”
Another daunting task that is awaiting President Ruto on women's affairs is the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule, a pledge he made and reiterated during his inauguration.
“I do hereby commit that within three months of the Kenya Kwanza rule, we will put a mechanism to actualise the two-thirds gender rule,” he said.
“On the matter of gender parity, I am committed to the two-thirds gender rule as enshrined in our Constitution. I will work with Parliament to fast-track various legislative proposals and establish a framework that will resolve this matter expeditiously as promised in our manifesto.”
Other commitments made to women by Dr Ruto include free three-month supply of diapers to nursing mothers.
