By Ahmed Salat Ali A new legislative proposal before the Senate of Kenya could significantly reshape the composition of county governments by enforcing stricter requirements on gender balance, diversity and inclusion in county executive appointments. The County Governments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Mohamed Chute, seeks to amend Section 35 of the County Governments Act to align county leadership structures with constitutional provisions on equality and representation. At the heart of the proposed law is the long-debated two-thirds gender rule, a constitutional principle that has faced persistent challenges in implementation across many public institutions. “The principal object of this Bill is to ensure compliance with constitutional principles of inclusivity and diversity in the appointment of county executive committee members,” reads part of the memorandum accompanying the Bill released on Friday, March 20, 2026. If passed, governors will be legally required to ensure...
By Ahmed Salat Ali The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has reported a notable generational gap in voter registration, with millennials and older citizens leading the exercise while younger voters lag behind. IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana revealed that Kenyans aged above 35 years account for the majority of new registrations since the launch of the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise on September 29 last year. Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Mukhwana said older voters dominate the registration figures, representing more than two-thirds of the new entries in the voters’ roll. “Those aged above 35 years account for 67.35 per cent of the new registrations, while those between 18 and 35 years make up only about 32 per cent,” Mukhwana said. He noted that the largest share of new registrations is concentrated among voters aged between 36 and 40 years, underscoring stronger participat...