Ruto: Why I haven’t implemented two-thirds gender rule
Then Deputy President William Ruto addressing women during Kenya Kwanza Women Charter conference at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi on June 10, 2022. He promised to deliver on the two-thirds gender rule.
What you need to know:
- President Ruto has appointed 15 men Cabinet Secretaries and seven women.
- Of the 51 Principal Secretaries (PSs), only 12 are women.
He hopes to realise his gender agenda mission through the office of Women Rights Agency advisor.
President William Ruto, last week, owned up to his failure to honour his campaign pledges on equal inclusion of women in his appointments.
In his manifesto, Dr Ruto promised to implement the two-thirds gender rule in elective and appointive positions in the public sector within 12 months after the elections. This included allocating half of the cabinet positions to women.
The President has appointed 15 men Cabinet Secretaries and seven women. Of the 51 Principal Secretaries (PSs), only 12 are women.
In his defence, Dr Ruto said other considerations such as balancing region and age, pushed him into the corner.
“I would have better but you know politics is about balancing many things - you’re balancing regions, you’re balancing age,” he said during a live interview with the media.
Male person
Interestingly, he said a woman governor was vouching for a man to be appointed PS.
“One of the female governors called me and told me please make so and so PS. And of course she was pushing for a male person," he said.
He hopes to realise his gender agenda mission through the office of Women Rights Agency advisor.
“I’m pushing the agenda of two-thirds gender rule and expand the space of women beyond the appointments," he promised.
In his inauguration speech at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi, Dr Ruto pointed to lobbying legislators to pass the two-thirds gender law.
“On the matter of gender parity, I am committed to the two-thirds gender rule as enshrined in our Constitution, 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,” he said.
