Gender Commission criticises Uhuru’s Envoy list

NAIROBI, KENYA: The National Gender and Equality Commission has criticised President Uhuru Kenyatta over recent nomination of 20 envoys.

The commission said President disregarded constitution in the nominations by  ignoring the two third gender principle, failing to include youth and the disable persons in his list.

“While the Commission is cognisant that the appointments are being done progressively, we are disturbed that the indications so far appear to fly in the face of gender equality and inclusions especially for the women, youth and persons with disability as espoused by Constitution,” said Winfred Lichuma, Chairperson National Gender and Equality Commission.

“A quick analysis of the list fails to meet cardinal rule of diversity for instance not a single nominee belongs to the youth category, not a single nominee is a person with disability and five out of the 20 nominees are women,’ she said.

Article 27(8) of Constitution obligates State to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 15 nominated persons to the post of Ambassador to Kenya’s  missions abroad.

Notably in the new list are two former Finance minister in the previous grand coalition government Robinson Njeru Githae and Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

The President nominated Githae to America’s Washington DC while former environment Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere was nominated to Dar es Salaam-Tanzania.

Here are the nominated persons and their new stations:

Robinson Githae - Washington DC

Chirau Ali Makwere - Dar es Salaam

Kiema Kilonzo – Ankara, Turkey

Sam Ongeri - Habitat

Richard Opembe – Dublin

Mohammud Mohammed – Riyadh

Lucy Chelimo – Ottawa

Dr George Masafu – Kinshasa

Professor Bitok – Khartoum

Joseph Magut- Berlin

Major-General Jeoff Otieno – Cairo