Why Ruto May be Forced to Appoint a Female Attorney General
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) is advocating for President William Ruto to appoint women to the remaining cabinet positions.
In a statement released on Thursday, the commission noted that the current cabinet nominees put forward by President Ruto do not adhere to the gender balance principle outlined in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya.
NGEC emphasized that if President Ruto does not select women for the remaining two cabinet positions, he will not meet the constitutional requirement for gender balance.
Upon reviewing the nominations, NGEC highlighted that there are currently 15 male and 6 female candidates.
Including the President and Deputy President, who are both males, the total number of males rises to 17, while females remain at 6.
This composition fails to meet Article 27(8) of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, which mandates that no more than two-thirds of the members of an appointive body should be of the same gender.
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The 2010 Constitution specifies that the Cabinet should consist of 25 members (including the President, Deputy President, Attorney-General, and 22 Cabinet Secretaries), with no more than 16 members allowed from the same gender.
“To comply with this requirement, women must fill the remaining two positions for the Attorney-General and one Cabinet Secretary,” stated NGEC.
NGEC has advocated for including a nominee with a disability to enhance inclusivity.
However, NGEC commended the nomination of Eric Muriithi as the Cabinet Secretary nominee for the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation due to his youthful profile.
“The nomination of Eric Muriithi Muuga, aged 32, is noted as a positive step towards complying with Article 55 (b) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 which obligates the State to take measures, including affirmative action programs, to ensure that the youth have opportunities to associate, be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life,” read the statement in part.
Following President Ruto’s nomination of Rebecca Miano as the new Tourism Cabinet Secretary, this statement emerges, coming after her initial nomination as the nation’s first female Attorney General.
Why Ruto May be Forced to Appoint a Female Attorney General
