Deputy President Kithure Kindiki Friday expressed the government’s unwavering commitment to elevate the marginalized communities and groups to critical contributors of national development and advancement.
Prof. Kindiki said the government is keen to bring everyone on board without focusing on their identity nor gender, highlighting every Kenyan’s constitutional right to equal treatment.
“The government is committed to creating an inclusive and just society where somebody’s gender or identity is not seen as a source of exclusion but a source of national strength. A society’s strength is measured on how it handles the marginalized, weak and vulnerable,” DP noted.
The Deputy President spoke when he met Commissioners of the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) on Friday at Harambee House Annex in Nairobi for a briefing on the status of execution of its roles and attendant successes and challenges.
Assuring them of the government’s support, the DP said the Commission is crucial in the realization of the objective to bring together all Kenyans and communities towards a common goal.
“We would strengthen this commission. We will support this commission and create an enabling environment to deliver. We will respect its decisional, operation, financial and administrative independence,” he added.
On Thursday, Prof. Kindiki also engaged Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo and senior Ministry officials on the status of the implementation of the report by the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide that was established by the President last year.
During the meeting, the DP promised quick implementation of stringent measures to stop escalation of gender-based violence and femicide in the country.
The DP said the administration is treating the mattersseriously as they risk undermining national development and security.
He said action has already been taken as recommended by the Technical Working Group as more extensive measures are fast-tracked through Cabinet and Parliament.
“I reaffirm the commitment of the government to make sure we roll back the worrying statistics of gender-based violence and femicide in our country,” DP stated.
He said the President has directed speeding up of legal, policy and administrative interventions to curb the menace that is threatening the country’s socio-economic progress.
He assured Kenyans that all hands are on deck to implement preventive measures as instructed by the Head of State.
“The government is concerned with the repeated cases and reports of the killing of women in brutal and horrendous circumstances. We take these cases seriously because they are harming our nation-building and the progress we are making in development,” he noted.
Needed measures, DP reiterated, are being pursued through multiple ways including immediate administrative action, Cabinet policies and legislative interventions.
“We are taking the recommendations of the technical working group seriously. The implementation is on course on the issues that do not require Cabinet or Parliament approval,” he reaffirmed.
The DP directed the CS to quickly present policies and proposed legislation for approval by the Cabinet.
“There is a need for Cabinet approval for the proposed legislation or policy so we have a government-backed document to be submitted to Parliament. In the meantime, we are implementing measures that do not require legislation and policy,” DP stated.
Prof. Kindiki said the implementation of the report will aid in the fast-tracking the ratification of the Africa-Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls that was adopted during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February, 2025.
Later on Thursday, the Deputy President also held a meeting with chairpersons and heads of constitutional commissions and independent offices for an update of implementation of their mandates and finalization of a framework for regular engagement.
“While these institutions retain decisional, financial administrative and operational independence, they require an enabling environment for the discharge of their respective mandates,” the DP said.
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