Nairobi – The High Court has refused to block the swearing in of new appointees to the Cabinet following an application by a human rights watch group.
The Centre for Rights Awareness and Education was denied the opportunity by Justice Joseph L. Onguto who stated that without first granting the Executive and National Assembly, who are named as respondents, a hearing, it would be impossible to grant the order.
The Centre for Rights and Awareness wanted the nominees stopped from taking up office as the Cabinet will be constituted in violation of the Constitution.
The nominees are set to be sworn in Friday.
The NGO has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of violating the Constitution by failing to ensure that at least seven members of his Cabinet are women as per Article 27 (8) of the Constitution which stipulates that no more than two-thirds of the members of elective and public appointive bodies are of the same gender.
It means that once the current seven nominees are sworn-in, only five out of 20 Cabinet Secretaries will be women.