President William Ruto, in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, prioritised the women’s agenda, specifically highlighting the delayed implementation of the two-thirds gender rule, which he described as an act of sabotage.
Ruto expressed his dissatisfaction with the resistance and reluctance within the political class, despite his engagement with the leadership of both houses.
He questioned the motives behind the opposition, emphasising that women are not second-class citizens and deserve equal representation at all levels of government.
“We must call out those who continue to sabotage this right of women to contribute to the governance of our nation. Women are not second-class citizens; they deserve equal representation at all levels” he said amid applause from the women legislators.
He further underscored the role women play in national leadership.
“This Parliament will recall that early in my tenure, I engaged the leadership of both Houses with recommendations on a working formula to actualise meaningful inclusion of women in national leadership. We must seriously question the drivers and motives of resistance and reluctance to take the next step in actualising the two-third gender rule” he added.
The President also expressed concern over the rise in gender-based violence, particularly the increasing cases of women being murdered by men, which he attributed to primitive expressions of brutality and impunity.
He directed investigative agencies to ensure the swift prosecution of perpetrators.
“Left unaddressed, these incidents will cause the women of our nation to feel increasingly unsafe, even in their own homes. This is both tragic and unacceptable. I am aware that most of the cases of murder of women by men have been investigated and prosecuted, and it is my hope that, in due course, those found culpable will face the full force of the law”.
The President revisited the issue a day after meeting women leaders and pledging Ksh 100M to tackle the vice.
He also urged all sectors of society to contribute to raising responsible boys who will work towards creating a safer, more equal society for women.
“It is time for each of us – political leaders, public officers, religious leaders, traditional institutions and family members – to do our part in raising boys into morally upright men who will never need to affirm their masculinity at the expense of women but instead contribute to making our society just, safe, equal and inclusive”
Additionally, Ruto revealed that he had tasked the Deputy President with facilitating collaborative, broad-based, multi-sectoral discussions and recommending effective and affirmative actions within the next six months.
“I have held discussions with other leaders in government and tasked the Deputy President to reach out and facilitate collaborative, broad-based and multi-sectoral deliberations and recommend effective and radically affirmative actions within 6 months”
