Pressure continued to pile on Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo after the county boss made controversial remarks against Senator Fatuma Dullo at a recent public event.
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) on Tuesday, May 3, became the latest agency to go after the governor with a set of demands, accusing Guyo of demeaning Senator Dullo's constitutional role.
The NGEC accused the governor of reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes which amounted to psychological and gender-based violence.
"This conduct falls squarely within the definition of psychological violence and gender-based violence as contemplated under the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, 2015, and undermines the dignity and equality of women as enshrined in Article 27 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010," NGEC said in a statement.
Guyo courted controversy at the weekend when he accused Senator Dullo of lavish spending as he questioned the Senator's personal relationships.
In the explosive comments, the governor also implied that Dullo was using public funds to fund her lifestyle after the Senator's request to allocate her development funds.
"You can make all the noise you want, but I won’t give you any development money... Isiolo County funds will not be handed to you," Guyo said during Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
In response to the governor's comments, the NGEC has issued a set of demands, calling on Guyo to issue an immediate and unconditional apology to the Senator. The commission also demanded a separate apology from Guyo to the Kenyan youth
Further, NGEC called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate the governor's conduct and take appropriate action if he is found culpable.
Finally, the commission called on the Council of Governors to publicly denounce Governor Guyo's remarks while also adopting internal measures to promote ethical leadership.
The demands came just hours after The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) also went after the governor by calling on a probe on his conduct.
As per the Kenyan constitution, Governor Guyo's comments raise potential violations of Kenyan laws since article 27 of the Constitution guarantees equality and freedom from discrimination, including gender-based discrimination.
Article 28, meanwhile, states that every person has inherent dignity and the right to have that dignity respected. With this in mind, public shaming and humiliation based on gender or personal status is considered a violation of this principle.
