Kindiki: Inclusion of marginalized groups key to national progress

Kenya’s push to strengthen equality and speed up action against gender-based violence has taken a fresh turn, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki saying government plans are now focused on turning marginalized communities into active drivers of national development.

Speaking on Friday at Harambee House Annex in Nairobi during a meeting with commissioners of the National Gender and Equality Commission, Kithure Kindiki said the administration is committed to ensuring inclusion is not treated as charity but as a core part of governance and national growth.

He stressed that every Kenyan is entitled to equal treatment under the Constitution, adding that exclusion based on identity or gender has no place in a modern state.

“The government is committed to creating an inclusive and just society where somebody’s gender or identity is not seen as a source of exclusion but a source of national strength. A society’s strength is measured on how it handles the marginalized, weak and vulnerable,” DP noted.

Kindiki assured the National Gender and Equality Commission of continued government backing, saying its independence and role in promoting fairness will be protected and strengthened.

“We would strengthen this commission. We will support this commission and create an enabling environment to deliver. We will respect its decisional, operation, financial and administrative independence,” he added.

The discussions centered on the progress and challenges facing the National Gender and Equality Commission in implementing its mandate of promoting equality and protecting vulnerable groups.

On Thursday, Kindiki also held talks with Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo and senior officials on the implementation of recommendations from the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, formed by President William Ruto last year.

He said government agencies are already rolling out urgent measures to respond to rising cases of violence against women, while longer-term reforms are being fast-tracked through Cabinet and Parliament.

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Kindiki warned that the trend is not only a social concern but also a threat to national development and security, requiring coordinated and immediate intervention.

He confirmed that some recommendations are already being implemented, while others are undergoing policy and legislative processing.

“I reaffirm the commitment of the government to make sure we roll back the worrying statistics of gender-based violence and femicide in our country,” DP stated.

He said the President has directed faster implementation of legal, policy, and administrative reforms to address the crisis.

“The government is concerned with the repeated cases and reports of the killing of women in brutal and horrendous circumstances. We take these cases seriously because they are harming our nation-building and the progress we are making in development,” he noted.

Kindiki further said implementation is being pursued through multiple channels, including immediate administrative action and structured legal reforms.

“We are taking the recommendations of the technical working group seriously. The implementation is on course on the issues that do not require Cabinet or Parliament approval,” he reaffirmed.

He directed the Cabinet Secretary to fast-track policy and legislative proposals for Cabinet consideration before submission to Parliament.

“There is a need for Cabinet approval for the proposed legislation or policy so we have a government-backed document to be submitted to Parliament. In the meantime, we are implementing measures that do not require legislation and policy,” DP stated.

He added that the reforms will also support efforts to align Kenya with the Africa Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, adopted in February 2025.

Later, he met chairpersons and heads of constitutional commissions and independent offices, where they reviewed progress on mandate implementation and discussed a framework for regular engagement.

He noted that while the institutions remain independent, they require a supportive environment to effectively deliver their mandates.

“While these institutions retain decisional, financial administrative and operational independence, they require an enabling environment for the discharge of their respective mandates,” DP said.