President Uhuru Kenyatta has finally responded to Chief Justice David Maraga on the advisory to dissolve Parliament for failing to enact the two-thirds gender rule.
In an interview with France 24 in France on Thursday night, October 1, the Head of State stated that he had no intention of dissolving the National Assembly.
He, however, added that he harboured regrets over Parliament's failure to pass the Gender Rule as his administration is keen on empowering women and creating equality.
"It is not what I would like to do but it is an option that has been put (forward) by the Chief Justice. It is hard to implement it but at the end of the day, we must recognise that we must balance the rights of the citizens to elect their representatives and the need for us to have gender parity.
"We wait to see the outcome of the court process and that will be the time to decide what is going to be the way forward," Kenyatta stated referring to a case by two Kenyans Leina Konchellah and Mohsen Abdul Munasah who filed a suit in court.
Justice Weldon Korir temporarily halted Maraga's advisory pending the outcome of the case.
The President further avoided commenting on his tense relationship with his deputy William Ruto. He reiterated that his focus was on uniting the country and not weakening Ruto. He also declined to affirm that he will back Ruto for the 2022 presidential post despite reportedly promising him the same in 2013.
"My intention is to do everything I can to bring Kenyans together and to ensure that the next elections shall not be a tense one or that can lead to a potential crisis of ethnicity. That is the reason I reached out to the Opposition. There are some who feel that that kind of partnership (with the Opposition) is meant to side line William Ruto," Kenyatta stated.
In August 2020, DP Ruto affirmed that Jubilee Party was divided and hinted at dumping Jubilee over being frustrated by Kenyatta's allies.
His allies, however, called for a truce on Thursday, October 1, insisting that they want the Party united to achieve their agenda and manifesto.
"The opposition will not take blame when we the government will be accused of failing the nation. We have had lunch together and discussed on how we can work alongside each other.
"There are several issues that we need to discuss and one of them is the dissolution of Parliament in regard to Chief Justice David Maraga's advisory to the President," Kandara MP Alice Wahome stated while addressing the media outside Jubilee Headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi.
Kenyatta reiterated that he will retire in 2022 and would not run for Presidency nor be a Prime Minister under a Building Bridges Initiative coalition.
