Cabinet approves formation of multi sectoral group to address femicide

Cabinet holds last meeting of the year on Tuesday, December 12. [PCS]

The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a presidential working group to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing femicide.

The working group will engage religious leaders, parents, schools, security agencies, and all other stakeholders to identify gaps in law, enforcement, and social values that contribute to this crisis.

The team will be gazetted with clear terms of reference and tasked with delivering actionable recommendations within 90 days.

The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which was chaired by President William Ruto and is the last for this year, also approved the Assumption of Office of President and Transition of Executive Authority Bill, 2024. The proposed law aims to seal gaps and ensure smoother and more unified presidential transitions in Kenya.

It consolidates the procedures for the assumption of office and the transfer of executive authority into a single legislative framework. The Bill, now headed to Parliament for consideration, introduces a unified law covering the assumption of office by the President-elect and the transition of executive power.

It also imposes stricter penalties for State and public officers who obstruct the transition, proposing fines of up to KSh10 million, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.

Another key provision in the Bill ensures that the President-elect and Deputy President-elect receive security arrangements equivalent to those of the sitting President and Deputy President.

To account for unforeseen circumstances, the Bill addresses scenarios where the outgoing President cannot attend the swearing-in ceremony. In such cases, the handover of instruments of power will be omitted without affecting the validity of the swearing-in process.

The proposed law also ensures continuity in government operations by allowing Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries to remain in office until new appointments are made by the incoming administration.

The Bill further provides that the transition of executive authority will be deemed to have been completed when the President, Deputy President, Attorney-General, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and the Secretary to the Cabinet assume office.

Other provisions outline the role of the President-elect in the nomination and appointment of members of the Assumption of Office Committee and provide for the establishment of a Transition Centre.

In response to transportation challenges in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, the Cabinet has approved the implementation of the Clean Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System. The Clean BRT Core Line 3 will enhance public transport reliability and infrastructure efficiency, ensuring predictable fares during both low and peak hours.

The first phase covers 12.4 km from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to Dandora, with future extensions planned for Ngong Town and Tala. By 2035, Core Line 3 is projected to transport 357,000 passengers daily using electric buses.

The system will feature cashless fare collection, real-time passenger information, GPS-based vehicle tracking, and park-and-ride facilities. Managed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA), this initiative represents a significant step towards sustainable and efficient public transportation for the metropolitan region.

The Cabinet also approved the University of Nairobi Transformation Strategy, designed to address the institution’s challenges and restore its academic and operational excellence.

Established in 1970, the University of Nairobi is Kenya’s oldest institution of higher learning, with 10 faculties, 312 academic programmes, and an enrollment of 46,946 students. Despite its rich legacy, the university has faced financial challenges, including unpaid statutory deductions of KSh4.1 billion, pension arrears of KSh7 billion, and pending bills amounting to KSh13.2 billion.

These challenges have resulted in staff and student strikes, leadership conflicts, and a decline in academic and support services, consequently causing a drop in global rankings.

To tackle these issues, the university has launched the ‘Big 5’ transformational initiatives focused on Green Jobs, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, and Health Research. These initiatives aim to enhance the university’s resilience and align it with future workforce demands.

Following a directive from President Ruto, the Ministry of Education and the university leadership have developed an ambitious 24-month Transformation Strategy, which has been approved by the University Council.

This strategy outlines eight strategic objectives with clear action plans and timelines, leveraging available resources and partnerships to restore the University of Nairobi to its leading position in higher education and research. This marks a critical step in revitalising the university and ensuring it continues to produce top-tier graduates and groundbreaking research.

Finally, the Cabinet has approved the extension of the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) arrangement for the import of refined petroleum products. This arrangement has eased the monthly demand for US dollars for petroleum imports, stabilising the shilling-dollar exchange rate at KSh129 from a high of KSh166 and reducing pump prices from KSh217 per litre of petrol to KSh177.

The arrangement secures the supply of refined petroleum by allowing payments in Kenya shillings, previously estimated at $500 million a month.

The Cabinet meeting also approved the procurement of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Heavy Fuel Oil, and bitumen through a centrally coordinated bulk procurement system.

The President thanked the Cabinet for their hard work and contributions during the year. He cited the gains already made in food production, housing, labour mobility to access opportunities abroad, and tourism, among others.

“Many people thought we would concentrate on populism, but we concentrated on transformation; many thought we would concentrate on politics, but we concentrated on leadership,” he said.

He concluded: “It is not about some people, but all the people of Kenya.”