President William Ruto on July 11, 2024, fired Attorney General Justin Muturi alongside his Cabinet Secretaries (CS) with the exemption of Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi.
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) is on the neck of President William Ruto to appoint a female Attorney General to fill the position.
NGEC in a statement on July 25 said the current nominations consist of 15 male and 6 female candidates. Including the President and his Deputy who are both male, the total composition brings to 17 males and 6 females.
“This composition does not comply with Article 27(8) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, which stipulates that no more than two-thirds of the members of an appointive body should be of the same gender,” reads the statement in part.
“For a Cabinet with a maximum of 25 members (including the President, Deputy President, Attorney-General, and 22 Cabinet Secretaries), no more than 16 members should be of the same gender.”
NGEC Wants Ruto to Nominate Female Attorney General
To comply with this requirement, NGEC said that women must fill the remaining two positions for the Attorney-General and one Cabinet Secretary.
The commission said the composition of the cabinet nominated by Ruto so far fails to meet the principal of two thirds gender rule enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
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The percentage range of gender representation accounts for 71.43 percent for male and 28.57 percent for female.
Additionally, the commission said at least one of these female candidates should be a person with a disability.
In terms of age, NGEC revealed that 0ut of the 21 nominees, 20 are aged above 35 years with only the Water, Sanitation and Irrigations CS Eric Muriithi Muuga aged 32.
“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 programmes, to ensure that the youth have opportunities to associate, be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life. His inclusion represents an effort to address the youth constituency’s need for representation in high-level decision-making,” the commission further noted.
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The Commission encouraged the appointing authority to ensure that the final Cabinet list fully complies with Articles 27, 54, and 55 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
“It is imperative that the National Assembly undertakes meticulous vetting of the nominees and approves only those who meet the stringent requirements outlined in Chapter 6 of the Constitution regarding leadership and integrity,” NGEC said.
“This rigorous process will ensure that all appointed individuals embody the principles of equality, non- discrimination, and ethical leadership.”
President William Ruto had earlier nominated Rebecca Miano for the position of Attorney General on July 19.
Miano, who previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industrialization, was to take over from Justin Muturi but was later reshuffled to the Tourism and Wildlife docket.
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