Governor Nyong’o nominates 3 more women to Cabinet after being dragged to court
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has nominated three more women to his Cabinet following sustained pressure from a section of residents.
In a statement on Sunday, October 30, Nyong'o picked nominated MCA Beatrice Odongo to head the Sports, Culture, Gender and Youth Affairs docket.
The county boss also nominated Judith Oluoch as CEC member, Public Service, County Administration and Participatory Development, Office of the Governor and Maryline Yanza Agwa to Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change docket.
The latest nominations bring to four the number of women earmarked for plum positions in the Executive.
The governor had on October 8 unveiled a seven-member team to serve in his Cabinet with only one woman featuring on the list.
Nyong'o nominated former Roads CEC Farida Salim to head the Trade and Marketing department.
Other nominees are Gregy Ganda (Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation), George Omondi Okong'o (Finance, Economic Planning and ICT), Kennedy Hongo (Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development), Salmon Orimba (Infrastructure, Energy and Public Works), John Awiti (Education, Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services) and Ken Onyango (Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation).
The list sparked controversy from a section of members of the public who accused Nyong'o's administration of discrimination against women.
Anyang' Nyong'o dragged to court
A voter identified as Evans Otieno Oloo filed a petition in court challenging the nominations on grounds that the governor failed to uphold the two-thirds gender rule.
"By dint of the said nomination, the said nomination will show that out of the ten (10) nominees seven (7) in permanent positions and three in acting position; only one position has been reserved for a woman thus breaching the requirement of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and the County Government Act 2012 (revised in 2020)," Court papers read in part.
The petitioner also told the court that the county boss failed to consider special groups in the list of nominees.
"Out of the purported nominees, it is apparent that special groups and persons with disability have not been considered under the affirmative action in regards to the County Government Act, 2012 (revised in 2020) and relevant provisions of the Constitution of Kenya 2010," Oloo told the court.
Consequently, the Employment and Labour Relations Court on Monday, October 24, stopped the vetting of the seven Executive Committee Member (CECM) nominees pending the hearing and determination of the petition challenging the process.
