Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday expressed his disappointment over the low number of women serving in the construction industry including State road agencies.
Speaking during the inaugural Women in Construction Forum 2023, Murkomen blamed discrimination in hiring and working environment as some of the obstacles that women face.
"When I joined the ministry, I realised that it was a male-dominated sector. In all the road agencies we have never had a female director general," he stated.
He ordered the board of Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) and Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) to ensure the number of women engineers exceeds 10.
Other institutions in the transport sector expected to follow suit are Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Railways (KR), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), and Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).
"I will try to convince President William Ruto to make sure that the next chair of KERRA should be a lady as well as at KURA," Murkomen stated.
"I have no struggle convincing the president since it is his agenda. We are going to make sure we promote women to take up technical roles," he added.
The CS expressed confidence that his successor would be a woman to lead the ministry. Murkomen emphasised that the country has more than enough qualified women who lack the right opportunities.
To create a friendly environment for women in the workplace, Murkomen added it was necessary to have breastfeeding areas.
Murkomen also directed the officials in the various dockets to ensure women rightfully get contracts under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO).
"We do not want our companies to give women contracts to supply tissue paper, and stationeries we want women to be given contracts to construct roads and not periphery roads," he remarked.
Murkomen dismissed claims that women are favored when getting government jobs, contracts, and appointments.
"This level of discrimination against women must stop, let women compete like every other person," Murkomen stated.
