Karua: Uhuru Cabinet lacks gender balance

Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua. She has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to reconstitute his cabinet. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Ms Karua was speaking during annual Jurists Conference at Swahili Beach Hotel in Diani on Thursday. She said the number of women appointed did not satisfy the rule.
• Meanwhile, the newly formed Aberdare West Parliamentary Group comprising MPs from Laikipia, Nyandarua and Nakuru has lauded the changes that saw former MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and Agriculture PS Cecily Kariuki nominated to the cabinet.

By NATION TEAM
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Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to reconstitute his cabinet.

This comes amid concerns that the cabinet does not comply with the two thirds gender rule.

Ms Karua was speaking during annual Jurists Conference at Swahili Beach Hotel in Diani on Thursday. She said the number of women appointed did not satisfy the rule.

“While congratulating the President for reconstituting the cabinet at a time it was absolutely necessary, I would like to bring to his attention that he did not obey the two thirds rule,” she said.

She said the President must lead by respecting the Constitution.

“Let us not talk about advisers because the Constitution does not know them. It knows the President and he too knows the law,” she said.

Meanwhile, the newly formed Aberdare West Parliamentary Group comprising MPs from Laikipia, Nyandarua and Nakuru has lauded the changes that saw former MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and Agriculture PS Cecily Kariuki nominated to the cabinet.

The changes announced by President Kenyatta came barely a month after the MPs ditched the Mt Kenya Parliamentary Group to lobby for political and economic recognition of the region, which they said, was being sidelined by the government.

However, the group said Nakuru County, which missed out should also be considered for future appointments.

Laikipia and Nyandarua counties scored big with Mr Kiunjuri being nominated CS for Devolution and Planning ministry, which was left vacant following the resignation of Ms Anne Waiguru.

Ms Kariuki’s nomination to the Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs docket is seen as a compensation for the sacking of Mr Francis Kimemia.

In Voi, Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga said the President was unfair to women when reconstituting the cabinet.

She spoke during the launch of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

“It’s sad that the President has failed to uphold the law by not addressing the gender issue. We hoped he would support women get leadership positions,” she said. 

Report by Farouk Mwabege, Lucy Mkanyika, Macharia Mwangi and Steve Njuguna