NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 10 — Deputy President William Ruto on Friday signed a women’s charter detailing policy interventions that his government will put in place if elected in August 9 presidential election.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, DP Ruto committed to address the issue of the Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and vowed to ensure inclusion of women in leadership positions.
“On behalf of the Kenya Kwanza I commit that an agency will be formed to directly cater for women’s issues. The agency which will be domiciled at the office of the President will be led by a female official. This official will also be sitting at the cabinet,” DP Ruto said.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential flagbearer further promised to actualize access to government procurement opportunities by ensuring that women-owned enterprises will automatically qualify for financing through a proposed Hustler Fund.
“I commit that the women will have a 50 percent access to the Sh50 billion Hustler Fund without any conditions or interest,” the DP said.
With the rising cases of teenage pregnancies, DP Ruto further committed to ensure a comprehensive return-to-school formula for teenage mothers through bursary schemes. He also committed put an end to ‘period poverty’ by providing sanitary pads to all girls for free.
Ruto, who is seeking to take over from President Uhuru Kenya, pledged to create an institute at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) to train women and build the capacity of women in leadership and entrepreneurship.
Bearing in mind that women form the largest proportion of population in the country, Ruto vowed to implement the entrenched of two thirds gender rule within the first three months of his administration.
“Within three months of the Kenya Kwanza rule, we will put a mechanism to actualize the two-third gender rule and immediately operationalize that mechanism so that women don’t have to wait longer,” he said.
“While we went through the many economic fora across the country, we listened to the women of Kenya. They told us many things about empowerment, leadership, and they gave us examples of how they want things to change.”
Ruto also pledged to make women equal partners in his government, saying they will be the face of the Kenya Kwanza government.
He exuded confidence that the Kenya Kwanza government will have the most women leaders including elected governors going by the number of women his UDA party has fronted.
“Will produce most elected women Governors, setting a record in Kenya,” Ruto said.
He pointed out that “The 2022 election is about the economy of the republic of Kenya and its people. The face of this election is a woman, she is called mama mboga.”
“Even before the elections, we already have a woman who has been elected as a Woman Rep in Kericho County; she is unopposed,” Ruto added.
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