More women to upstage male counterparts in elective positions

Over the year’s men have dominated Kenya’s economic, political and social spheres despite women making up the majority of the population.

However, since the promulgation of the current constitution, women role in decision making process including active participation in active politics and elective positions has been greatly elevated.

Fears of unknown and lack of empowerment has prevented women from taking up top leadership positions like their male counterparts.

With limited opportunities, their roles have been reduced to lower positions with the notion that a “a woman’s place is at home looking after children’ or the ‘women are weak” by chauvinist men.

The upcoming August general election will be one of a kind as more women have begun lining up to contest for five of the six elective seats on offer.

No woman so far has declared interest run for the presidential seat.

At least 23 women leaders are eyeing coveted gubernatorial posts in the 2022 elections, raising the possibility that more counties could have women leaders, compared to only four that have been at the helm since the implementation of devolved governments in 2013.

Unlike the 2013 and 2017 general elections where only a handful of women vied for what is regarded as the second most powerful political office in the land after the presidency, nearly two dozen women have declared interest in the county seats, signaling a tough contest for their male competitors.

The only women to have occupied the office are the late Bomet governor Joyce Laboso who died while in office, Kitui County boss Charity Ngilu, Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Ann Kananu (Nairobi) who ascended to power following the 2019 impeachment of Mike Sonko.

Besides Waiguru and Ngilu are the sitting governors planning to defend their seats.

Martha Karua who is also a top contender for the Kirinyaga seat even though her name has featured in the lists of running mate positions for other presidential aspirants.

Making a new entry, businesswoman Agnes Kagure has officially joined the Nairobi gubernatorial race.

Among the Azimio La Umoja frontrunners who have declared interests to contest include businesswoman Kagure, Westlands Member of Parliament Timothy Wanyonyi, current Governor Ann Kananu and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry President (KNCCI) Richard Ngatia.

Kagure, Ngatia and Kananu are banking on endorsement by the handshake partners, President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga Azimio la Umoja ticket.

Former Starehe Member of Parliament Bishop Margaret Wanjiru is seeking to run on UDA ticket while Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja is said to be angling choose Amani National Congress as his political vehicle.

While there’s a provision for independent candidates, it remains an option to be exploited.

“I’m yet to see a worthy competitor to take me head on, come August 9. Not Tim Wanyonyi, Johnson Sakaja, Agnes Kagure, or Margaret Wanjiru. Nairobians, we can do better than these people. I’m confident I will be elected Governor of Nairobi County by a landslide,” she said.

In Machakos, Transport Chief Administrative Secretary Wavinya Ndeti will be making her third attempt in the race that is shaping as a contest between veterans and newbies.

The race to succeed Governor Alfred Mutua has definitely intensified with eight aspirants so far lined up.

Machakos County assembly speaker Florence Mwangangi and Mavoko MP Rick Makau will be facing each other for the rights to fly the Wiper Party ticket.

“This time round we’ve our eyes firmly on the goal. Our agenda remains addressing food insecurity and lining the pockets of our people with money, “she said.

Former Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Sarah Serem has also declared her interest in the Uasin Gishu County governorship, becoming the latest entrant in the battle to succeed retiring incumbent Jackson Mandago.

Kirinyaga has been having what can be termed as ‘cat fight’ between Waiguru and Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici over who will take the seat come 2022.

Initially, Ngirici was to run for the seat with a UDA ticket but later switched sides after Waiguru joined the party.

In Kisii, Woman Representative Janet Ong’era has declared interest in the county’s top seat as are her counterparts Florence Mutua (Busia), Wangui Ngirici (Kirinyaga) and Pamela Odhiambo (Migori).

In Meru, Woman Rep Mwangaza Kawira is giving a respectable group of men, who include incumbent Kiraitu Murungi, a run for their money as she seeks to become the first female governor of the county.

The battle for the seat has caused jitters in the Kiraitu camp forcing him (Kiraitu) to obtain court orders stopping Kawira from making defamatory claims against him.

Kawira has, however, promised to continue exposing alleged ills in the county as she seeks to topple the incumbent.

In Taita Taveta, Patience Nyange, a media personality, has declared her candidature for the seat currently occupied by Governor Granton Samboja.

In Homa Bay, three women leaders who defied odds to clinch MPs seats are marshalling support with the intent of successfully defending their seats.

The Homa bay County Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, Lilian Gogo (Rangwe), and Eve Obara (Kasipul) hopes their track record will earn them another term in office even as opponents start intense campaigns.

In the region, several young women have also entered various races. At the weekend, Betty Akinyi, a journalist became the latest entrant in the parliamentary races.

She has set her eyes on unseating Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabir and will face off with other aspirants for the ODM ticket.

Narok, Woman Representative Soipan Tuya has also thrown her hat in the ring, promising extensive development across the county if elected.

She is serving her second term and believes she has gained adequate leadership experience the last 10 years to run the county.

According to gender analysis of 2017 Kenya general election report for the first time in Kenya’s history, women were elected to serve as Governors and Senators in 2017.

There were 29 per cent more women who ran for office in 2017 than in the 2013 General Elections.

Women in Kenya hold 172 of the 1,883 elected seats up from 145 in 2013.

Women account for 23 per cent of the National Assembly and Senate seats, including the seats that are reserved for women representatives.

It is not only in Kenya where women are struggling to assume political leadership as of 1 January 2021, 5.9 per cent of elected Heads of State (9 out of 152) and 6.7 per cent of Heads of Government (13 out of 193) were women.

Currently, Europe is the region with the most countries led by women with five out of nine Heads of State and seven out of 13 Heads of Government.

The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway are all currently led by women.

The number of countries in which women hold 50 per cent or more of ministerial positions however, dropped from 14 in 2020 to 13 in 2021.

In the list of countries with 50 per cent or more women ministers, only Rwanda made the list from Africa with 54.84 per cent women in government ministries.