President Uhuru Kenyatta is keen to ensure gender equality in his administration and this has seen him rely on seven women in key positions to steer forth his agenda.
According to State House Spokesperson, Kanze Dena, Uhuru made the deliberate move by appointing the seven to his Cabinet and 11 more as Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs).
Further, the President also hired 13 female Principal Secretaries to make sure his agenda is fulfilled.
According to Kanze Dena, Uhuru placed absolute trust in the women working in his Cabinet and was certain they would be accountable to the taxpayers.
"One thing that was very important was making sure women had a seat at the table. One thing President Kenyatta will be remembered for is when he took the instruments of power he decided to change the narrative and showed that women can also lead," Dena stated.
"When he took over in 2013 he appointed 6 women in Cabinet and he gave them Ministries that were traditionally held by men. In his second term, he acknowledged that the women played a great role and he went on to appoint 7 women with portfolios ordinarily held by men."
The seven include Public Service and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Margaret Kobia, Foreign Affairs CS, Raychelle Omamo, Sports and Heritage's Amina Mohamed, former Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS, Sicily Kariuki, Lands CS Farida Karoney, Energy's Amb Monica Juma, and Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development CS Betty Maina.
Despite these appointments, in 2020 the High Court ruled that Uhuru flouted the gender rule principle in the appointment of Cabinet Secretaries.
“A declaration is hereby issued that the President has acted in contravention of the Constitution in nominating, appointing and maintaining a Cabinet that does not meet the two-third gender requirement under the law,” Justice Joseph Onguto of the High Court stated.
“In making my findings, I am conscious of the fact that the Cabinet is a crucial organ of the State that the executive cannot function without.
"I am also aware that the country is headed to the national polls in another eight months or so therefore in that context I must accord public interest and good order,” the Judge added.
He added that his findings in the suit mattered, he is mindful of the circumstances of the case so as not to plunge the country into any undue hardship.
“Ordinarily such a finding would lead to a declaration to that effect, which would mean that the impugned Act has no legal effect and is thus null and void. I am therefore of the view that a suspension of the invalidity of the violation would be most appropriate,” Justice Onguto noted.
In two cases filed by the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (Creaw) and Community Advocacy and Awareness Trust (Crawn Trust), Justice Joseph Onguto ruled that the current cabinet does not meet the two-thirds gender rule.
