Ruto appoints more female ambassadors as International Women's Day marked

President William Ruto during the launch of the G7 Strategy that brings together the seven women governors at Safari Park, Nairobi County. [Photo, PCS]

President William Ruto on Friday, March 8, said he has appointed 10 new ambassadors and six deputies all of whom are women.

Ruto, while speaking in Embu County expressed his appreciation for the role of women in society, saying that the appointments are meant to appreciate their efforts.

"Today, I have appointed ten women as ambassadors and six others as deputies in recognition of their contribution in the country," said Ruto.

The names of the appointees and the countries they will serve are however yet to be made public.

In efforts to empower more women, the Head of State on Thursday, March 8, also pledged that the ruling party would field a female presidential running mate in future polls.

While speaking during the launch of the Women Governors Caucus G7 Strategy in Nairobi, Ruto said that governorship aspirants will be required to pick the opposite gender as their running mates.

"Cecily Mbaririe is the chair of UDA not by default; It is deliberate and one of the assignments she has is that we must, as a party, lead from the front and we must make it the rule... We have agreed with Gachagua that going forward, if a man is a candidate for President in our party, a woman must be a running mate and if a woman is a candidate, a man can be a running mate," he said.

According to Ruto, women are the cornerstone of the country's politics, drivers of change, and agents of democratic governance, therefore it is important to uphold gender standards and push everyone in the same direction.

The president was joined in Embu by various leaders among them Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the celebration of the International Day of a Woman.