Human Rights group criticises Ruto's Cabinet picks over gender and regional imbalances
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
The Commission particularly highlighted the nomination of William Kabogo, Lee Kinyanjui, and Mutahi Kagwe to Cabinet positions, arguing that their appointment further entrenches ethnic dominance in the government.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has criticised President William Ruto's recent Cabinet nominations, raising concerns about gender disparity and regional imbalances.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the human rights group took issue with the lack of female representation and the overrepresentation of the Mt Kenya region in the new Cabinet lineup.
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The Commission particularly highlighted the nomination of William Kabogo, Lee Kinyanjui, and Mutahi Kagwe to Cabinet positions, arguing that their appointment further entrenches ethnic dominance in the government.
"With the new CS nominations, the Mt Kenya region is poised to dominate the Cabinet. If the National Assembly approves Kabogo, Kinyanjui, and Kagwe, they will join Justin Muturi, Rebecca Miano, Alice Wahome, and Eric Muriithi in the Cabinet," read the statement in part.
The commission added that when factoring in the Deputy President, who is also from the Mt Kenya region, a total of eight Cabinet members almost 35 per cent would be from the region.
"When the deputy president is included, eight cabinet members will be from the Mt Kenya region, constituting 34.7 per cent of the Cabinet," the statement read further, expressing concerns about the lack of ethnic diversity in the appointments.
In addition to the regional concerns, KHRC also faulted President Ruto for failing to nominate a sufficient number of women for Cabinet positions.
According to the Commission, only five out of the 20 appointed Cabinet secretaries are women, representing just 25 per cent of the Cabinet.
This, the KHRC said, was a clear violation of the constitutional principles of gender equality and inclusivity.
"Such actions contravene the public's trust and the obligation to exercise power in their interest. Article 10 of the Constitution identifies the key national values and principles of governance, including patriotism and national unity," the KHRC stated.
The new Cabinet appointments, made public on Thursday, included Kabogo for Information, Communication, and Technology, Kinyanjui for Trade, and Kagwe for Agriculture.
Other appointments in the new government include former Laikipia Governor Nderitu Mutiithi as Chairman of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and former Murang'a Senator Kembi Githura as Chairperson of Kenyatta University Teaching, Research, and Referral Hospital.
Former Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria was also appointed non-executive Chairperson of the Public Procurement Regulatory Board for a three-year term.
While the appointments have been widely celebrated by some political observers, the commission is calling for more gender-sensitive appointments and better representation from all regions in the Cabinet.
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