The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has criticized President William Ruto’s recent Cabinet appointments, alleging a lack of regional balance and gender inclusivity.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has raised concerns about President William Ruto’s latest Cabinet nominations, accusing the administration of sidelining key constitutional values, including gender equality and regional inclusivity.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, KHRC pointed out that the nomination of William Kabogo, Lee Kinyanjui, and Mutahi Kagwe to prominent Cabinet positions violates principles of ethnic inclusivity. The trio, all hailing from the Mt. Kenya region, join other Mt. Kenya leaders in key government roles, raising questions about the region’s dominance in the Cabinet.
Disproportionate Regional Representation
The commission highlighted that if the National Assembly confirms the appointments, Mt. Kenya leaders will hold eight out of 23 Cabinet positions, equating to 34.7% of the executive arm of government.
“With the inclusion of Justin Muturi, Rebecca Miano, Alice Wahome, and Eric Muriithi, Mt. Kenya continues to maintain an overwhelming presence in the Cabinet,” KHRC stated.
Gender Disparity
KHRC also faulted the government for failing to uphold gender balance in its appointments. Currently, only five out of 20 Cabinet Secretaries are women, representing just 25%. This falls short of the constitutional requirement for at least one-third gender representation.
The commission described this as a breach of public trust and a deviation from Article 10 of the Constitution, which mandates adherence to national values such as unity, equality, and patriotism.
Additional Appointments
In addition to Cabinet nominations, the President announced other appointments:
- Nderitu Mutiithi as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) chairman.
- Kembi Githura, former Murang’a senator, as chairperson of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital.
- Mwangi Wa Iria, former Murang’a governor, as non-executive chairperson of the Public Procurement Regulatory Board for a three-year term.
Public and Institutional Response
The KHRC has called for a review of the appointments to reflect the diverse makeup of Kenya, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and gender parity to uphold public trust and constitutional values.
