Nairobi — The High Court has ruled that President William Ruto's Cabinet does not comply with the constitutional two-thirds gender principle and directed the Head of State to rectify the imbalance within 120 days.
In the landmark decision, the court found that the current composition of Cabinet falls short of the gender threshold required under the Constitution, which provides that no more than two-thirds of members of elective or appointive bodies should be of the same gender.
The court consequently ordered President Ruto to take corrective measures within four months to ensure compliance with the constitutional requirement.
The petition challenging the composition of Cabinet argued that the appointments failed to uphold gender equality and inclusivity as envisioned under the Constitution.
The ruling places renewed pressure on the Kenya Kwanza administration to restructure Cabinet appointments or make fresh nominations to achieve the required gender balance.
The two-thirds gender rule has remained one of Kenya's most contested constitutional provisions, with successive governments facing criticism and legal challenges over failure to fully implement it in public appointments.
The judgment is expected to reignite debate on gender representation in leadership and compliance with constitutional provisions on equality and inclusion.
