The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a presidential working group to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing femicide.
In a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, December 17, the top decision-making organ said that 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 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.
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