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Special Post-Election
Issue
A comprehensive coverage of GENDER and
ELECTIONS
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Issue Number 36 • April 2013
EDITORIAL
Women must hit
ground running
as assemblies
start sittings
T
he electioneering period has finally come
to an end and women, despite their performance must move forward.
Energy should now focus towards sustaining the momentum started two decades ago that
culminated in the gains currently entrenched in the
Constitution.
The highlight of it was the affirmative action
clause and the two thirds gender rule on all elective
positions for governors, senate and national assembly
that the Supreme Court ruled would take effect from
2015
Strategy
However, that is water under the bridge and
the women’s movement must explore ways of using
elected representatives in all positions to take their
agenda to the Senate as well as national and county
assemblies.
We salute the new waheshimiwa (honourable
members) and urge them not to relax but to hit the
ground running armed with their gender agenda.
The affirmative action war now begins in earnest.
The women leaders must be strategic, organized
and coordinated in order to achieve set goals. It is
worrying that up to now no woman has declared interest in contesting as a Speaker or a Deputy Speaker
of the National Assembly or of the Senate.
Equity
Individuals elected must demonstrate that the
seats are not a preserve for men. We look forward to
seeing the likes of vocal and fiery former MPs like
Millie Odhiambo (Mbita); Rachel Shebesh (Women’s
representative Nairobi County); Gender minister Dr
Naomi Shaban (Taveta); Tourism Assistant minister
Cecily Mbarire (Runyenjes); Special Programmes
minister Esther Murugi (Nyeri Town) and Former
Higher Education minister Helen Sambili (Mogotio)
leading from the front.
They are among the 16 women leaders who were
elected as Members of Parliament (MPs) out of 290
seats. Another five women have been nominated by
the political parties to the national assembly. The
senate has seen 16 women nominated plus another
two, one youth and one disabled also joining them.
All the 47 governors and an equal number of senators-elect are men as per the Independent Electoral
and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) final list.
Numbers
However, the MPs-elect and the women’s representatives need not look far for lessons of how to
succeed in the political arena. History was made by
the likes of Grace Onyango as the first woman to be
elected mayor, MP; Margaret Kenyatta as first woman mayor of Nairobi in the 1960s; outgoing Gichugu
MP, Martha Karua, who was a presidential candidate in the just concluded polls, served as Deputy
Leader of Government Business among others.
They should lobby for representation as Speaker
or Deputy Speaker of the two houses and also target
to be chairpersons of crucial House committees.
Indeed, every election in Kenya since independence 50 years ago has been an experiment and the
just concluded election is not an exception.
Against
all odds
Women lose in the coalitions
as those from marginalised
communities make history
…By Jane Godia
W
hile women thought they
would benefit from the new
political order within the
new constitutional dispensation, it has actually proved to be their
undoing.
The just concluded General Election
has left women trailing behind and wondering if ever communities within which
they live and vie will ever elect them to political leadership.
Among eight presidential candidates
was one woman Martha Karua who was
ranked in the sixth position after she managed to garner only 43,881 votes. Total
votes cast were 12,338,667.
Karua who initially had a lot of women behind her, seems to have lost ground
when women abandoned her to pay loyalty
to their parties.
Constitution
Initially when the Constitution was
promulgated in 2010, the women’s movement was on frenzy creating awareness
about the gains within the new laws. It was
agreed that women will vote as a bloc for
one of their own no matter the tribe or party affiliation. However the outcome of the
General Election was a clear indication that
women were still not ready to support each
other. Despite being the majority in terms
of population and even as
registered voters, it seems
the women were swayed
by other forces to abandon
their own and vote in men.
Discrepancies
Kenyans queue to cast their votes in the just concluded
General Elections. Despite the numerous measures put
in place to ensure more women were elected, they are
still trailing behind. Below: An elderly woman casts
her ballot in display of her democratic right. Pictures:
Kenyan Woman Correspondent & Ben Oroko
Out of the 47 counties no
woman was elected for the gubernatorial
seat. However, only nine women will be
managing counties as deputy governors.
These are Penina Malonza (Kitui), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Hazel Nyamoki Katana
(Mombasa), Adelina Mwau (Makueni), Evelyn Chepkurui (Narok), Ruth Adhiambo
(Kisumu), Mary Ndiga Kibuka (Taita Taveta), Dorothy Nditi Muchungu (Embu) and
Susan Chepkoech Kikwai (Kericho).
Hopefully when the governors will be
meeting with the president in the scheduled biannual meetings, at least some of
these women will be present.
In 1963 when Kenya established its first
government, there were 41 senators and
none was a woman. The scenario has been
replayed this year, after the Senate position
was entrenched in the new constitutional
dispensation. In the just concluded General
Election, no woman was elected senator.
However, unlike 1963, this time around 16
women will be nominated by political parties to the Senate as required by the Constitution. Another two women —a youth and
a person living with disability — will also
find their way to the Senate house. In total,
the Senate will have 18 women out of the
total 68 members.
Party lists
The elections which were conducted
under major coalitions helped in strengthening the presidential candidate and by extension male candidates. While many men
lost nominations with parties that were
within strongholds, some of them moved
on to other smaller parties within the alliances and won. In this case, there were no
blocs for parties where people only voted
for one party.
Unfortunately the coalitions did not
benefit women and the women’s movement
lost the strongest women politicians. These
included Prof Margaret Kamar, Beatrice
Kones, Linah Jebii Kilimo, Sally Kosgei,
Wavinya Ndeti, Margaret Wanjiru, Elizabeth Ongoro and Charity Ngilu.
Ongoro who wanted to vie for Nairobi
Senate was forced to give up her bid for
Margaret Wanjiru to enable the Cord CoContinued on page 3
2
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Losers in Kilifi County call for poll repeat Hostile environment
…By Yusuf Amin
W
omen candidates
in Kilifi County
who lost in the just
concluded General Election plan to challenge the
outcome of the poll.
The losers cite massive irregularities and insecurity which
they say forced voters to stay
away from the polls.
A Senate aspirant with
Shirikisho Party of Kenya Naomi Cidi who was defeated by
Justice (Rtd) Stewart Madzayo
complained that most voters
kept away from polling stations
due to insecurity in some parts
of the constituency.
Cidi singled out Chumani
Primary School polling station
where no voting took place after
a gang raided the centre on the
eve of the elections and killed
police officers and other IEBC
officials.
“This sacred away voters and
thus majority did not come out
to vote for their leaders,” she explained.
Cidi further said that more
than five polling stations in Kilifi
North Constituency did not
conduct elections adding that
this disenfranchised women
candidates as some of the areas
affected were their strongholds. Insecurity She said as women leaders
they will challenge the outcome
of the elections in court as they
did not reflect the will of the electorate.
She blamed the Police Service for failing to beef up security
deprive women
chance in politics
in the affected areas which had
already been perceived as Mombasa Republican Council (MRC)
zones.
The women aspirants also
complained that ballot papers
from various polling stations in
Kilifi North were transported to
Kilifi town without party agents
accompanying them, thus creating room to doctor results.
Sophy Kombe, a candidate
for the Woman Representative
position who got 33,343 votes
asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to nullify the results
for Kilifi County as they were
marred by irregularities.
T
…By Valentine Atieno
he harsh political climate in the country has
deprived women of seats despite constitutional provisions that not more than two
thirds of members of elective public bodies
shall be of the same gender.
According to a research by the Adoption Pathways
Project, women hold the key to food security and if
elected in top leadership, Kenya’s dependency on relief
aid is poised to reduce.
However, despite Kenya recognising the need for
women’s political and economic equality, there is still
a lot to be done to sensitise the society that the global
arena is changing and women too need to be included
in leadership and decision making platforms.
“We have had so many trainings for women aspirants and candidates to boost their leadership capability and to give them the courage to face the male
counterparts in politics and to have a leader’s perception for their leadership roles,” said Zipporah Musau,
Communication Officer, UN Women.
Protest
Her sentiments were echoed
by Ether Kache who also contested for the Kilifi County
women representative seat on
a Chama Cha Uzalendo ticket.
Kache protested that torn ballot
papers were found around Kilifi
North Constituency tallying
centre at the Pwani University.
Kache claimed that she was
tipped by members of the public who found burnt ballot papers and reported the matter to
the IEBC officials for investigation.
Kache who lost the seat to
Asha Jumwa Karisa (ODM) said
that she recorded statements
with the police and hoped that
those involved in the vice will be
brought to book.
She said that she will challenge the election of Karisa who
garnered 87,288 votes during
the election citing massive irregularities.
Numbers
Esther Kache displays a ballot paper marked in her favour but
dumped miles away from the actual tallying centre. She was vying
for Kilifi County Women Representative seat in a Chama Cha
Uzalendo party ticket but lost. Picture: Yusuf Amin
Women account for a majority of the population
in Kenya today and play a major role in national building.
“We are going to ensure that our women candidates are empowered in the political arena to give
them the responsibility to participate actively in decision making and that the women bring a different
perspective into politics,” said Daisy Amdany, Chair
National Women’s Steering Committee.
Speaking at a forum organized by the UN Women
in Nairobi that seeks to champion gender issues, the
level of women representation in parliament is still
very low.
“The UN Women seeks to continue to empower
women at different sectors of leadership, economic
empowerment, violence against women and women
as ambassadors in peace building and humanitarian
response,” noted Musau.
The price of not electing women
Taxpayers must find additional Sh570m to pay the salaries and perks of nominated ward reps to meet the gender quota.
…By David Herbling
T
axpayers will spend an extra KSh570 million annually
on the salaries of nominated
women county assembly
representatives to meet the set gender
quota.
It has emerged that voters in more
than half of the counties did not elect
any woman to the county assemblies,
and have to create a large number of
special seats to meet the gender threshold set in the Constitution.
The Constitution demands that
not more than two-thirds of members
of the county assembly can be of the
same gender and special seats be created to meet the quota in the event that
the condition is not met in the election.
Constitution
The list of elected ward representatives that is awaiting publication in
the Kenya Gazette shows that counties
such as Mombasa, Marsabit, Kiambu,
Kakamega, Baringo, Homa Bay and
Embu did not elect a single woman to
the county assemblies and will on average have to nominate at least 10 women
to comply with the constitutional demand.
Data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
(IEBC) shows that none of Kenyas 47
counties elected enough women representatives to meet the one-third rule
leaving nomination as the only way to
meet the legal threshold.
Failure to vote in at least 484 fe-
male candidates to make up a third of
the 1,450 elected county representatives means that the Treasury will have
to fork out half a billion to nominate
women representatives.
Implications
“We warned Kenyans in advance
that failure to elect women to the
county assemblies will have serious financial implications,” said Micah Cheserem, the chairman of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), in
an interview with Business Daily. He
added: “This is the price we must pay
for ignorance so that we learn a lesson.
It is a constitutional requirement so it
has to be fulfilled.”
The Commission on Revenue Allocation said that the gender requirement for county assembly had to be
met immediately unlike that of the National Assembly and Senate which the
Supreme Court said would be achieved
progressively by August 2015.
County assemblies are charged
with the mandate of making laws and
playing the oversight role over county
budget and the county executive committee.
They must approve individuals
nominated by the Governor to be part
of the county executive committee and
pass legislation related to areas where
the regional government has authority.
The Constitution gives the county
governments the authority to oversee
entertainment, health services and
public works such as sewerage, storm
clearances, water and sanitation, pub-
lic transportation and issuance of
trade licences.
“A county assembly consists of
the number of special seat members necessary to ensure that no
more than two thirds of the membership of the assembly is of the
same gender,” states Article 177(1b)
of the Constitution.
Cheserem estimates that about
600 women will have to be nominated to the county assemblies to
satisfy the gender threshold — setting up the Treasury for a higher
public service wage bill.
Revenue
Ultimately, the failure to elect
A woman being guided by an IEBC official on where to insert her ballot
female representatives will cumu- paper. Kenya performed poorly in gender representation with some counties
latively cost the taxpayer about
not voting even a single women. Picture :Kenyan Woman Correspondent.
KSh2.9 billion in remuneration
the nominated candidates will have to lists presented do not comply with the
of special members over a five-year
be met from money allocated to that male and female representation quotas
term.
The Commission on Revenue Al- particular county,” said Winfred Li- as required,” said Lichuma at a press
location reckons that counties that did chuma, chair of the National Gender briefing.
There are a total of 1,450 elected
not elect any women to the assemblies and Equality Commission.
The commission has moved to the county representatives plus a further
will spend more on salaries and allowances for the extra members, com- High Court seeking an order to com- 376 members made up of eight canpared to counties that elected a sizeable pel political parties to only nominate didates from each county to represent
women to the National Assembly and the youth and persons with disabilities.
number of female contenders.
The additional nominated mem“This is money that could be chan- county assembly in order to achieve
bers will be appointed by political parnelled to development of infrastruc- gender balance.
ties in proportion to their strength in
ture and service delivery,” explained
the county assembly.
Cheserem.
“In the just concluded elections it
For example, out of the 55 wards
The Salaries and Remuneration
Commission has set the basic salary is unfortunate that at the county as- in Nakuru County, only eight elected
of a member of the county assembly at sembly level the one third gender rule women meaning that a further 16 must
was not fully met and parties must be nominated to the county assembly
KSh79,200 per month.
“It is the taxpayer who will bear now nominate candidates to meet to meet constitutional requirement.
Courtesy of the Business Daily.
the burden because all expenses on the legal threshold. Unfortunately the
Burden
3
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Dama Sirya Maruwa
Centenarian who has lived to see
Kenya’s election process evolve
…By Diana Wanyonyi
A
t 104 years, Dama Sirya
Maruwa has lived to see
four generations of her
family and several political regimes from colonial period to
Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai
Kibaki and now Uhuru Kenyatta.
The centenarian participated in
Kenya’s first election during Kenyatta
era. Although she is illiterate through
a translation by her daughter she says
that this could be year she voted. She
also voted during the general election
in the Moi era but has since then not
participated in any election exercise.
Although she did not vote for the
two Kibaki terms and the immediate
past General Election, Maruwa says
the only difference about the campaigns and election then and today is
that there was no violence or rigging.
“I remember in 1963 I participated in the first general election that
had only two political parties Kenya
African National Union (KANU) and
Kenya African Democratic Union
(KADU). For us to vote we had vipande (identification cards) and
people voted peacefully for the leader
they wanted,” says Maruwa. She notes:
“This was a multi-party regime yet
peace and unity prevailed during the
elections.”
Enrollment
cise began her grandmother was not
happy that she would not participate
in the General Election not only due
to her old age but because she lacks the
new generation identification card.
“The minute she learnt that the
country is preparing to have an election she asked us on daily basis if we
would let her register as voter. We told
her that it was not possible because
she does not have new generation
identification card and moreover her
health condition would not allow her
to walk the distance to the polling station,” explains Kazungu.
Participation
Maruwa who is widowed says she
did not participate in the elections but
spent most of her time praying and
meditating that the country would remain united after elections. However,
her age does not allow her to remember many things as she tires easily.
Having witnessed the post-election events of 2007-2008 Maruwa says:
“I was not happy with what happened
in 2007-2008 during the post-election
period with neighbours fighting and
killing each other because of politics.
This is against African traditional setting and norms.”
According to Kazungu, the old
woman spends most of her time advising her family members to shun violence and preach peace using riddles
While many women still ponder
over which political party to join,
Maruwa is among the women who
had enrolled for party membership
many years back. At the time of the
one party rule she did not shy away
from enrolling as a member of the ruling party Kanu.
When the voter registration exercise began last year, Maruwa wanted
her name to be on the voters’ register. One of her great granddaughters
Miriam Kazungu says when the exer-
Dama Sirya has lived for more than a century and she knows the
importance of a peaceful election process. Below: KANU membership
card. Pictures: Diana Wanyonyi
and examples of past events.
“She always narrates to us how
people lost their lives including children after the coming of colonialists
to Kenya and how everybody was
trained to fight the colonialists including women. That ruined peace and she
does not want Kenya to be in the same
situation again,” explains Kazungu
adding that is why she used to spend
most of her time praying for peaceful
election and co-existence between. Maruwa is a proud custodian of
Mijikenda history as she is the oldest
““I was not happy with what
happened in 2007-2008
during the post-election
period with neighbours
fighting and killing each
other because of politics. This
is against African traditional
setting and norms.”
— Dama Sirya Maruwa
traditional female dancer before Kenya’s colonization remaining.
The dancing group comprised of
eight female dancers who passed away
a long time ago. It was formed under
the Mijikenda culture and they would
perform dances at the shrine of a female prophetess known as Mepoho in
Kaloleni area. The prophetess was believed to have been swallowed alive by
the earth after she predicted the coming of white people who will change
their culture and take away their land.
Seated on a three-legged stool
(locally known as Kigoda) outside
her daughter’s compound in Ziwa la
Ng’ombe area in New Nyali Constituency, Maruwa’s old looks tells more
about her age. On her ears she wears
wide beaded earrings which symbolise beauty and culture.
When she is not taking her nap,
Maruwa will be found glued to a radio
that broadcasts in Giriama language
keen to update herself with country’s
current affairs. Her main interests are
politics and health matters.
Despite her age Maruwa is keen on
the news hour and at 1 pm she moves
closer to the radio to listen to news often nodding in agreement with what is
being broadcast.
After the news is over and the station plays a traditional song, Maruwa
starts smiling. She recalls that she was
the best traditional dancer and the
team’s leader.
“We used to wrap our waist with
a wrapper in blue and red colours
known locally as hando. The colours
were specific because they symbolised
divine and holiness. I kept it well for
my generation,” she says.
Women emerge biggest losers within coalitions
Continued from page 1
alition strike a balance among tribes
within the city. Ongoro and Governor
elect Evans Kidero come from the
same community. However, ODM
has nominated her to the senate.
The women, especially those seeking parliamentary positions suffered
huge losses under the coalitions.
Jebii Kilimo who has normally
gone against the grain to win the
Marakwet East constituency seat this
time found the tide too strong for her
as the United Republican Party (URP)
sought to dominate the North Rift.
Kilimo says that despite contesting on The National Alliance (TNA),
a party that was in the same alliance
with URP, she still lost the seat.
Kilimo says the electorate was
warned against voting for her because
she was in a party that would not allow the region to talk as a family.
Outsiders
“They were told that they should
not elect an outsider who will give out
the family’s secrets,” Kilimo said when
she visited the Women Situation Room,
that was observing the elections.
At the end of the General Election, out of 290 constituencies only
16 women were elected Members of
Parliament. This is a very small percentage, and translates to only 5.5 per
cent compared to the last parliament
when there were 18 women, 8.1 per
cent, out of 222 seats.
The women elected are Peris Tobiko (Kajiado East), Millie Odhiambo
(Mbita), Mary Emaase (Teso South),
Grace Kipchoim (Baringo South), Hellen Sambili (Mogotio), Esther Murugi
(Nyeri Town), Alice Wahome (Kandara), Esther Gathogo (Ruiru), Alice
Ng’ang’a (Juja), Naomi Shaban (Taita
Taveta), Joyce Laboso (Sotik), Regina
Ndambuki (Kilome), Rachel Kaki
Nyamai (Kitui South), Jessica Mbalu
(Kibwezi East), Cecily Mbarire (Runyenjes) and Mary Wambui (Othaya).
Achievements
For the first time in the history of
Kenya, a Maasai woman Peris Tobiko
defied culture that barred women
from assuming leadership position to
be elected into parliament. However,
among the Maasai, Narok will have
a woman as its deputy governor and
there will be two women Mary Yiane
Seneta and Roselida Tuya who will
represent Kajiado, and Narok respectively. Uniquely other communities
that have never embraced women’s
leadership include the Pokot, Turkana,
Borana, Rendille and Somali. All these
will have women from their respective
counties at the national assembly for
the first time. This then shows how the
47 women’s representative seats have
helped women, and particularly those
from marginalised communities ascend to positions of leadership.
Implications
While the Pokot have taken a hard
stance towards women’s leadership,
they have elected one woman within
West Pokot County as a county ward
representative. The challenge among
the Pokot, is how the men will be addressed by a woman while culture
dictates that a woman sits on the floor
while addressing men. It is thumbs up
to Hellen Cherotich Madio, who won
the Lomut Ward seat in Sigor Constituency, West Pokot County. She is
among 84 women who managed to
secure county ward seats out of 1,450
countrywide.
Sadly, the counties will have to
nominate women to ensure that the
principle of not more than two thirds
of one gender is adhered to. The cost of
paying salaries for nominated women
county representatives will be drawn
from allocations earmarked by Commission of Revenue Allocation and
this means that in the next five years,
development might not take place as is
expected.
While Nyanza gave Kenya the first
woman parliamentarian since 1963, it
worth noting that the region has not
been very friendly towards women being elected in parliament. Since 1992,
when Phoebe Asiyo was last elected,
the region has been defiant towards
women leaders. However, in the General Elections, Millie Odhiambo won
the Mbita Parliamentary seat amid
controversy that a woman who is married elsewhere should not be given
leadership from her parents’ home.
Odhiambo served in the previous Parliament as Nominated MP.
Numbers
Another woman who defied party
wave to win is Mary Emaase who won
the Teso south Constituency seat on
a United Republican party (URP)
ticket against the Orange Democratic
Movement (ODM) party wave that
was blowing through Busia County.
Emaase, also comes from a community that has never appreciated women’s
leadership and she becomes the first
woman from the Teso community to
defy cultural norms and to be elected
to parliament.
She is joined by Grace Kipchoim
who also defied culture to emerge the
first woman and person from Endorois
community to clinch a parliamentary
seat. Kipchoim won the Baringo South
Constituency seat amid all odds.
The 16 women MPs will be joined
by the 47 Women Representatives
to bring the total number of women
elected into the National Assembly to
63. These will be joined by another 12
members who will be nominated by
political parties. The National Gender
and Equality Commission is seeking
to sue the IEBC for failing to compel
political parties to uphold the twothirds gender principle in their party
lists that will determine nominations.
Among those to be nominated should
be women and men who will represent special interest groups including
youth, persons with disabilities and
workers. However, from the names
that parties gave to the Registrar of
Political parties just before elections,
the rule of nominating women and
men equally as well as those living
with disabilities and minorities has
not been adhered to.
However, although the women’s
numbers are not impressive, it is
hoped that within the bigger voice for
women, the tone of debate in parliament will certainly change to ensure
that policies which have a special
leaning towards women are given
more consideration than before.
4
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Culture denies Gusii
women elective seats
T
…By Ben Oroko
hough majority of women
from the Gusii community
vied for different seats in the
just concluded General Election, retrogressive cultural mind-sets
hampered their bid to capture the positions.
The shambolic party primaries that
preceded the elections, inadequate information on the position of the women representative’s seat and candidates
marital status conspired to deny women leadership positions.
According to Rebecca Otachi the
only female candidate for the Kitutu
Chache North Constituency parliamentary seat, her opponents used
smear campaign to edge her out of the
race.
“Unless the community changes its
mindset towards female candidates in
respect to their marital status, we will
still have very able women missing out
on leadership positions,” observes Otachi.
The issue of the women representative’s seat provided for in the Constitution was used by the opponents to create an impression that women should
not contest for any other political seat
as they had already been awarded
theirs by law.
…By Larry Kimori
Kenyan women had little to celebrate about
on March 8 when the world celebrated International Women’s Day.
The day was marked quietly as Kenyans
came to terms with the results of the March 4
General Elections. The results also served to affirm fear by women that the political arena was
yet to embrace their bid for leadership.
None of the hundreds of women who contested the six elective positions were elected to
senior posts like President, Senator and Governor.
The few who sailed through were elected to
the National Assembly as MPs and or women’s
representatives, while the rest were elected
country representatives.
The theme of IWD was most appropriate
for Kenya, if the voters were to promote it, as
the country faced the first polls within the new
constitutional dispensation.
It was marked on March 8, right in the
middle of the tallying of the presidential at
Bomas of Kenya, which had most Kenyans
glued to the radio and television screens anxiously waiting for the final outcome.
Theme
Misconception
“Whenever I shared a platform
with my opponents, they kept telling
the electorate that I should not seek
MP’s seat because women have their
seat already allocated to them by the
Constitution. This propaganda eventually confused voters because they
expected my name to be among the
women candidates seeking the Women Representative’s seat,” she notes.
Otachi claims that voters had been
misled that every woman was contesting for the Women Representative’s
Rebecca Otachi lost in the race for Kitutu Chache North Constituency parliamentary seat due to
seat, a development which she says
unfair competition. Picture:Ben Oroko.
contributed to her poor performance
in the race for Member of the National
Assembly.
Being the only female candidate among
However, she admits that women candi“It was, therefore, quite a challenge to dates from the Gusii community who were 13 men, Otachi says, people were eager to liscorrect this view in the electorate’s minds. vying for various elective seats were affected ten to her vision for the constituency if she
According to some of my agents, in some by flawed party primaries.
got elected.
polling centres women were looking for my
“Though I did not win the seat, I was able
name under the Women Representative's
to sell my agenda to the electorate and inballot paper and I lost quite a number of my
“I personally blame flawed party pri- crease my visibility for future attempts,” she
potential votes due to this misconception,” maries for my poor performance in the observes.
laments Otachi
General Election since I initially associated
She regrets that the community is yet to myself with the United Democratic Forum
change its cultural mind-set about women’s (UDF), which was a popular political veAt the same time Otachi points out that
leadership, with majority holding a view that hicle among my supporters but during the financial constraint were a major challenge
women from the community were not yet ripe party primaries, the party ticket was given to during the campaigns as she relied on family
for political leadership, especially in the Na- my opponent without conducting of formal resources, support from well-wishers and pertional Assembly.
nominations. I had to quickly switch to the sonal savings to finance campaigns.
little-known Farmers’ Party to avoid missing
While election laws prohibit voter-buying/
out on the ballot paper,” Otachi recounts.
bribing, Otachi says that the campaigns were a
“My dream of representing my constituShe notes that it was hectic as she had to display of financial might among various canency in the National Assembly was shattered re-introduce her new party of choice besides didates, influencing the electorate to demand
by retrogressive cultural beliefs which do not readjusting her campaign posters and other for cash hand-outs from aspirants.
recognise women’s potential in political lead- materials on the new party’s colours.
She laments incidents of voter-buying
ership,” says Otachi. She adds:
“My political opponents took advantage which influenced the voting patterns and fi“It was a challenge as some of my oppo- of the ensuing confusion to advance propa- nal results as well as the electorates’ choice of
nents kept reminding the electorate that Kitu- ganda messages to the electorate that I had leaders. It compromised the electorate’s demotu constituents since independence has never dropped out of the race, thus discouraging cratic right to choose leaders based on policies
been led by a woman, so let Rebecca contest and confusing my supporters," states Ota- and ability to deliver on the political positions
for the Women Representative’s seat and leave chi.
they were seeking.
the National Assembly seat to male candi“Hand-outs played a major role in the
She describes the campaigns as generally
dates,” discloses Otachi.
peaceful, saying she did not encounter any inci- campaigns and the electorate expected to reShe notes that negative stereotyping against dents of violence in the constituency, since she ceive cash hand-outs and thus ignored candiwomen seeking political leadership from the preached peace and engaged on issue-based dates if they failed to hint that they will part
Gusii community still reigns supreme.
campaigns without attacking other candidates.
with something after addressing them,” she
recalls.
Otachi managed to garner 564 votes,
“Though I did not win the seat, I was able to sell my agenda to though she raises concerns on the final tally of
votes. However, she pledges to work with
the electorate and increase my visibility for future attempts.” the
the community in their development agenda
— Rebecca Otachi
in the next five years.
Primaries
Agenda
Culture
Why gender
agenda did
not gain
momentum in
elections
the International Women’s Day theme was:
“The Gender Agenda: Gains momentum. A
modern progressive world needs equality.”
According to Lucy Githaiga, Country
Manager Diakonia, women faced many hurdles not only as aspirants and candidates but
also as voters.
Githaiga singled out gender biases in party
nominations and negative socio-cultural attitudes as some of the factors that impede women’s quest for political office.
“The structures of political parties, electoral systems and legislative assemblies often created systemic barriers to women’s full
and equal participation in Government,” said
Githaiga.
In view of that, she suggested that women
use various organisational strategies to overcome those barriers to their participation in
leadership in future.
Diakonia jointly with Association of media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) had spent the
better part of last year and this year conducting regular training for women aspirants to
equip them with skills to present themselves as
parliamentary or county representative candidates.
They were also to learn skills on how to
maximise media (electronic, print and social
media) to gain visibility and a voice in the society.
Platform
In 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action
identified women in power and decisionmaking as one of its critical areas of concern
and outlined concrete actions to be taken by
governments, the private sector, academic
institutions, regional bodies and non-governmental organisations as well as the United
Nations system to increase women’s access
and full participation in power structures and
decision-making.
In most countries, women around the
world are meeting the challenges of leadership,
and contributing to change in their communities, countries and in the international arena.
“By building strong foundations for leadership and strong networks, representing
women’s perspectives in decision-making
circles, and seizing opportunities for change,
women are meeting the challenges they face
in creating the change necessary to achieve
equality with men in decision-making at all
levels,” adds Githaiga.
5
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Men dominate positions in Taita Taveta County
…By Renson Mnyamwezi
M
ale politicians clinched
most seats in the just
concluded General Election and sustained their
dominance in politics in Taita-Taveta
County.
Out of the several political seats
created under the devolved system of
government, only two female politicians were elected.
The women election losers interviewed blamed their dismal performance in the just concluded election
on cultural bias against women, lack
of funding by their political parties,
intimidation by male politicians and
lack of community support.
They also cited flawed party nominations and massive rigging as some
of the reasons hindering their chances
to ascend to power.
Taveta Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) parliamentary loser Ruth
Lelewu said that outdated, retrogressive and counterproductive cultural
beliefs worked against women seeking
elective positions in the community.
“A number of women were denied
nominations by their parties. Even
those who won the nominations were
denied funding and did not get support from their parties and their communities,” she claimed.
Barriers
“Our communities are not ready
for women’s leadership. Some male
politicians ganged up to ensure that
female politicians especially those
perceived to be popular are locked out
of the race,” said Lelewu who came a
distant fifth in the competitive race.
Gender, Children and Social Services Development Minister Naomi
Shaban is the only woman to have
won a legislative seat.
Shaban who was defending the
Taveta parliamentary seat is the first
woman Minister from the coastal region.
Another female politician, Joyce
Wanjala Lay was elected the new
County Women Representative. This
seat, however, was reserved for women under the new Constitution.
Strong women who lost included
former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
deputy Governor Jacinta Mwatela of
Wiper Democratic Party. Immediate
former CEO of Kenya Oil Refineries
John Mtuta Mrutu of ODM won the
hotly contested race.
Mwatela, the wife to outgoing
Mwatate MP and Education Assistant
Minister Calist Mwatela has vowed to
challenge the results in court, claiming she was rigged out.
“I have been robbed of victory. This
is daylight robbery,” she claimed after
the final results were announced. The
two candidates had battled it out at the
flawed Orange Democratic Movement
(ODM) nominations where Mrutu
was declared the winner.
Irregularities
"Corruption is also another challenge facing woman as some male
politicians bought their way in. People are voting for money without considering the qualities of leadership,"
she added bitterly.
In an interview, Lelewu said women could equally serve this nation like
men do but some cultural practices
were hindering their efforts to ascend
to power.
"It is now time communities shun
ancient cultural values to give equal
education opportunities to both boys
and girls," she said.
While encouraging more women
to vie for political positions in future,
Lelewu challenged them to start campaigning early enough.
"Lack of empowerment has discouraged a number of women to fight
for leadership positions with men. But
we are encouraging them that politics
is not a preserve of men," said another
election loser Edita Damian Milimito.
She blamed her woes on IEBC for
failing to clear her. "I had lost my identity card and IEBC officials had promised to clear me with passport but later
reneged. I was later locked out of the
Mata Ward election in Taveta constituency for lack of ID," she said.
"I had paid the requisite Ksh 2,500
for the seat but my political rivals colluded with unscrupulous IEBC officials to lock me out of the race of
which I should have won," claimed
Milimito, a mother of two.
She blamed the poor performance on corruption and discrimination against women. "My chances of
Kenyans turned out in large numbers to vote in a new government but did not elect enough women to meet the
constitutional requirement. Picture: Renson Myamwezi
winning the seat were frustrated by
IEBC," she added.
Milimito at the same time said she
was appalled by this traditional belief
that a woman should not aspire to positions of leadership.
The politicians spoke as women
failed to use their numerical to vote in
leaders of their own to address years
of marginalization.
Commission
The National Gender and Equality Commission had earlier warned
of a constitutional crisis if the gender
rule is not achieved. But this was
however overruled by the Supreme
Court ruling which suspended the
realization of the principle to 2013.
Speaking in Wundanyi town,
during a civic education forum with
"Corruption is also another challenge facing
woman as some male politicians bought their
way in. People are voting for money without
considering the qualities of leadership."
— Jacinta Mwatela
target groups to educate them on the
various elective positions in the just
concluded elections, the
Commission’s Communications
Officer Daniel Waitere said the implementation of the gender rule was
vital and should not be ignored during the elections.
He said despite challenges to the
commission was facing in the implementation of the gender rule; it has
embarked on forums to enhance public awareness among the marginalized
communities.
Reluctance
Two women leaders in the region
Gertrude Mwakio and Evelyne Wabosha told the commission that it would
be difficult to attain the gender rule
because women were still reluctant to
vie for political positions created by
the new constitution.
"It will be difficult to attain the gender rule because women do not want to
compete with men. Women especially
in rural areas should be sensitized to
come out and vie for the various political positions that had always been
dominated by men," said Mwakio.
The leaders noted that majority of
women were not willing to seek for
leadership positions because of the
huge financial requirement and grueling nature of campaigns. "Women
need to be empowered economically
to be able to effectively participate in
the electoral process," added Wabosha.
At the same time Waitere hit out
at former MPs accusing them of being
gender insensitive by failing to pass
the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill on the two thirds gender
rule that would unlock the crisis.
He said the Bill still pending in
parliament would have provided a
mechanism for achieving the principle that more than two-thirds of
the members of the National assembly and Senate shall be of the same
gender.
"The commission would like to see
more women participate in the electoral process and that is why it is creating public awareness to boost voter
listing and advising Kenyans on the
need to support politicians with good
policies that will benefit them," said
the communications officer.
Kilifi residents want a more equal representation
…By Robert Nyagah
T
he huge imbalance which appears to have been created
by the election of people
from a single ethnic and
religious background in various positions in the Kilifi County must be redressed through sober nominations at
all levels, a cross section of commentators have suggested.
“We are worried about the results
of the general election in the Kilifi
County in majority of the electoral areas where the predominant local and
Christian Giriama community dominated the seats right from the gubernatorial to ward positions,” noted Morris
Mangi who lost the Gongoni Ward
on a United Democratic Front (UDF)
party ticket.
According to Mangi, although
nearly all the seats in the Kilifi County
had been taken by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), there was also
dominance by a single ethnic group
and that is the Mijikenda.
“I do not wish to be tribal or discriminatory in my judgment, the Constitution is clear about our rights but
the fact is that unless the present total
dominance of the Mijikenda community is addressed through sober nominations, the region will suffer imbalance in its development agenda,” he
noted.
litical positions through nominations
to promote cohesion.
“Elected leaders to various positions should approach the nominations in a sober way and include other
minority groups in the beneficiary
lists,” said Dosa.
The business community in Malindi also asked the elected leaders to
Imbalance
“We are worried about
the results of the general
election in the Kilifi
County in majority of
the electoral areas where
the predominant local
and Christian Giriama
community dominated
the seats right from the
gubernatorial to ward
positions.”
Speaking in Malindi, Mangi expressed fears that the minority in the
Kilifi County including the women,
people from up country counties and
the general business community remained clearly unrepresented in the
just concluded elections.
Chief campaigner for ODM in
Malindi Constituency, John Kambi
Dosa also expressed fears that the
dominance of the Mijikenda community in all leadership positions would
create an imbalance in development
and fair representation.
He asked the winners to consider
offering qualified people available po-
— Morris Mangi
ensure that those nominated represented the interest of the other minority groups including foreign investors
and businesspeople from upcountry
that represent a huge chunk of the
electorate.
Nominations
According to Andrew Mataza,
North Coast chairman of the Kenya
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
warned that unless nominations were
fair and directed towards creating a
balance in leadership, Kilifi may end
up with huge development imbalances.
Mataza partly blamed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for what he
termed as failure to undertake adequate voter education, a situation
he charged for dominance of a single
party in the region’s politics.
He said that although the Cord
Coalition Presidential candidate had
differed with the “full suit style of
electing leaders (election of leaders
from the same party at all positions) ”,
the people of the Kilifi County seemed
not to have been well informed in
their choice of leaders and parties
they were expected to vote for.
He hoped that nominations would
finally address the imbalances caused
by the selections in the general election in representation of various minority groups.
Mataza insisted that Kilifi County
was metropolitan in its nature and for
that reason minority groups such as
the business community and foreign
investors should benefit from nominations in political positions from
county to ward level.
“I plead that those mandated to
undertake nomination at various levels will consider giving slots to the
various minority groups including
foreign investors to ensure that the
metropolitan status of the county is
not lost,” observed Mataza. He added:
“Let us have all the communities living in Kilifi represented at the political
level of management so that we can
mix and work to develop the county.”
6
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
It was a tough call for pastoralist women
…By Hussein Dido
R
ebecca Lolosoli, Habiba Jillo Ali
and Anne Wairimo were among
the few women from pastoralist
communities who contested for
the various positions in Laikipia, Isiolo
and Samburu counties respectively.
None of the however managed to
clinch the seats despite having mounted
campaigns to seek elective political seats.
Lolosoli and Ali both running for
Waso and Bulapesa ward representative
seats came third in the hotly contested
race.
Ali, a youthful aspirant in Isiolo County garnered 754 votes against her rival
Musa Kithenji who managed 1,600 votes.
Lolosoli had opted to run against her
husband for the Waso Ward seat in Samburu county but little did she know that
this will not only end up violently but
lead to family break up. The two have now parted ways following the political contest and Lolosoli
is now struggling to make ends meet after
she lost the seat to her former husband. During the campaigns, she became a
subject of ridicule and in one instance she
was assaulted by her husband who broke
her hands following confrontation that
ensued between the two.
Lolosoli who runs the Umoja Cultural
Tourist Village at the heart of Archers Post
garnered 535 votes finishing in the third
position.
Her husband Fabian Lolosoli scored
851 votes while his closest rival Julius Lemalasia garnered 731 votes.
Support
Five days to the elections, the Asso- Samburu women carrying banners and vowing to back one of their own during elections. In the finals women voters seem to have abandoned one
ciation of Media Women in Kenya (AMof their own. Picture: Hussein Dido
WIK), a non-governmental organisation
engaged in empowering women to leaderalso have affected the dismal performance by lenging for women to voice themselves or to life is also an excuse used to bar women from
ship positions had pitched tent in Laikipia,
take leading positions. Most of these parties leadership.
Samburu and Pokot in order to drum up sup- women candidates.
Since Kenya’s independence from the Brit- only nominate men to winnable positions durSeveral women affiliated organisations came
port for women candidates in the area.
AMWIK had printed materials and organ- ish rule in 1963, female representation in Par- ing elections. It is also evident that very few out to empower women as they bid to take up
ised voters across the region to back the women liament has been very low. During the Kanu women politicians are seen hitting the cam- leadership positions.
Through these organisations, profiles of
candidates in their quest for the elective posi- regime, there were only nine women out of paign trail. If present, they are rarely heard on
the 220 members of parliament (MPs). There the podium because the campaign rallies are women politicians have been published in local
tions in the pastoralist region.
dailies, online newspapers and newsletters to
When the results were announced, the or- has also been very low female representation male-dominated.
give them visibility.
ganization’s officials and the women candidates in decision-making positions within governDuring our recent campaign visit to Arwere shocked that the outcome did not favour ment sectors/departments, the local governRetrogressive cultural practices especially chers-post, Lolosoli pleaded and challenged
ment (municipalities) and parastatals.
them across the region.
When the Narc government took the among the pastoralist communities hinder women to back one of their own in the forthThough the pastoralist women have truly
come a long way in penetrating the male-dom- reins of power, the number of female MPs women, who are portrayed as not possess- coming general election but little was reflected
inated political scene, they still have to contend increased to 18 out of the 222 members of ing strong leadership qualities from ascend- in the outcome of the results.
They came out in large numbers and
with retrogressive cultural barriers that hinder parliament. However, this still falls short of ing to power. Many Kenyan communities
the United Nations target of achieving 30 per still believe that men should lead. Combin- vowed to support one of their own but their
them from ascending to leadership positions.
ing politics and ‘child-rearing’ and or family male counterparts managed to edge them out
Jacinta Alimlim who was eyeing the Coun- cent representation of women in politics.
It also falls short of the Beijing Platform
of the race.
ty Assembly Representative seat for Nachola
“It is going to be a big shame for us women
Ward, Samburu North Constituency suffered a for Action (the Fourth World Conference for
in this region if we do not use our numerical
similar fate. The seat had attracted more than Women in 1995), where it was agreed by all
governments that there should be equal parstrength to elect one of our own in this elecsix contestants. tion,” Lolosoli told a political rally.
“I lost the seat to my brother but this does ticipation of women and men in decisionIn unveiling her plans, Lolosoli had said
not mean that I will stop offering leadership making bodies. The gender imbalance in
she would help to tackle insecurity and conflict
to my people. I shall continue since it gives me Kenya’s political playing field has widened so
among the neighbouring warring communities
pleasure to bring positive change to men and much, since the male political ideology continues to define the standards of evaluation of
in the counties.
women,” she stressed. women’s political performance and participaShe urged women in the area to embrace
tion.
peace and unity and vote as a bloc in order to
And after the promulgation of the new
secure seats in the area.
The poor performance by several strong
There has been a long standing animosity
women who have in the past fiercely fought to constitution that came up with the devolved
between the Turkana and Samburu communipromote gender equality and participation in government structures and establishment of
the county positions, few women went for the
ties as a result of cattle raids, killing those who
politics was not encouraging.
resist during the raids as well as killing that is
During the campaigns violence against position of senators, governors and members
part of a rite for the morans.
women was witnessed in certain areas. Female of parliament.
In almost all the 47 counties, women went
Other than Lolosoli, various church elders
candidates were beaten by supporters of their
from these communities also called for peace
male rivals, male power was seen at play with for the position of women representative leaving
and brotherhood to end violence in the area just
manipulation and possibly rigging out of wom- behind the other positions for men to dominate.
What hinders women from being frontrunbefore the elections.
en. Lack of funds for women politicians was
ners in politics?
Lolosoli noted that she had helped to raise
also a major handicap.
One of the major problems that women
school fees for vulnerable and poor children
However, tribal and clan rivalry seems to
the areas to ensure that they remained in
have determined how the election outcome face is the lack of funds to conduct elections.
“It is going to be a big shame in
school.
was going to be. The long standing animosity Due to the feminization of poverty, many
said a vote for women will also encourthat exists between the Turkana-Samburu as women interested in politics are faced with fifor us women in this region if age She
pastoral girls to be role models in their soa result of cattle raids, different ethnic identi- nancial constraints which bar them from conties and killing as a part of a rite for the mo- testing, compared to their male counterparts;
we do not use our numerical ciety adding that girls in the area always look
upon them in order excel in their life.
rans (age groups) also affected the way people hence their political leadership potential go
strength to elect one of our
unnoticed.
During the occasion, the women aspirants
voted.
The political parties’ structures are also
pledged to agitate for development and ensure
Before March 4, various church elders from
own in this election.”
that morans abandon their way of life and enthese communities called for peace and broth- male-dominated, thus are discriminative
— Rebecca Lolosoli
gage in income generating activities.
erhood to end violence in the area. This could against women. It therefore becomes chal-
Strengths
Equality
7
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Dennita Ghati:
Set to advance the cause of women
…By Fred Okoth
A
former journalist who fell
in love with the anti-FGM
campaign in Kuria district
is now the Migori County
women’s representative.
For the 35-year-old Dennita Ghati,
the election to the National Assembly
marks the beginning of another chapter
in her fight for the right of the girl child.
“I believe it will still be the same
thing but at a different level,” Ghati
said soon after being declared winner in the polls where she trounced
her opponents to become the county’s
first women representative.
Ghati who was vying on an orange
Democratic Movement (ODM) party
ticket garnered 181,457 votes to win
the seat, beating her opponent Fatuma Mohamed of People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) who got 58,176 while Elzeba Ayuma of The National Alliance
(TNA) came third with 4,778 votes.
It has been a long journey for the
former journalist, who started as a reporter at the Standard Media Group
before rising to the position of a subeditor.
Born about 35 years ago in Kegonga area of Kuria East District of Migori County, just a few kilometres from
the Kenya-Tanzania border, Ghati
attended local schools before joining
Kenyatta University in Nairobi where
she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.
She then opted to join the media
to reach out on more people.
“By writing, I hoped to reach a
wider audience and help in promoting
the plight of the girl child,” she says.
She grew up in an area where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was
the norm with approximately 93 per
cent of all the girls from the region
still being forced to undergo the rite.
Track record
During her stint in the media,
Ghati became an anti-FGM crusader
and pleaded with the residents to stop
the rite and give the girls a chance to
be in school.
Her commitment to fight the vice
eventually won her a scholarship with
the Ford Foundation to study for a
Master’s degree in Community Work
from the University of Columbia in
the United States.
Upon completion of her studies,
Ghati dedicated her entire time to
fight against the vice which she said
was very rampant at the time.
She was actively involved in set-
ting up the Education Centre for the
Advancement of Women (ECAW), an
association which has been involved
in the fight against FGM in Kuria as
well as promoting education of the
girl child throughout the county.
As the chairperson of the Centre,
Ghati has been involved in lobbying parliamentarians to pass anti
FGM legislations as well as talking
to the provincial administration to
enforce existing laws.
“I realised that the problem was
not mostly in the lack of laws but on
the enforcement,” she says adding
that she has therefore been organising
meetings with chiefs and police to try
and talk to them to help in the fight
against the vice.
She has also helped to establish
a rescue centre for the girls who are
forced to undergo the rite and hundreds flee to the centre every December and stay there until at the end of
the circumcision period which is at
the end of the year.
Plans
And with her election as the
Migori Women Representative, Ghati
believes she will now be able to fight
for the rights of Migori girls and
women at a different level and hence
Dennita Ghati can now address girl child issues on a national platform.
Picture: Fred Okoth
achieve even more success.
“I believe this is a great chance
for the voices of the Migori women
to be heard,” Ghati said soon after
her election adding that she intends
to use her new position to fight for
even greater advancement of women
in the county.
“I believe I can articulate the desires of the women of the Migori
County,” she said adding that apart
from fighting FGM, her other agenda
will be to ensure that women of Migori County also have the opportunity
to go to school and make a career of
their choice.
Mary Wambui beats all odds to win Othaya seat
eight men to win the seat after she
garnered 16, 285 votes. She was followed closely by Nairobi lawyer Peter King’ara (GNU) who garnered 14,
…By Joseph Mukubwa
I
t has been a long and bumpy
journey for Mary Wambui who
can be termed as a woman of all
seasons.
Despite state machinery campaigning against her in Othaya, Wambui still went on to win the Othaya
Parliamentary seat.
It was not easy for Wambui to take
the decision to campaign in Othaya after the president’s son openly declared
the family’s preferred candidate.
While this should have held her
back, Wambui decided to soldier on.
However, she soon realised that it is
not all smooth sailing in politics.
After winning the nomination, she
faced a second challenge when her
The National Alliance (TNA) nomination certificate was snatched from
her.
218.
Her win must have been an embarrassment to the President’s preferred candidate Gichuki Mugambi
of Saba Saba Asili who came a distance third with 10,972 votes.
Blow
Bruising battle
She had to fight hard including
storming Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices to register her complaints.
She would later get her certificate,
but then her woes did not end. Wambui, who previously freely attended
the president’s functions, found herself being locked out. Many things
that are demeaning were raised
against her including the fact that
she is not educated and cannot be
able to properly articulate issues in
Parliament.
In one function, Kibaki who was
campaigning against her said she is
not educated and, therefore, cannot
adequately articulate issues especially
in Parliament.
However, when on March 4 Othaya residents went to cast their votes,
she emerged the winner ahead of the
first family’s preferred candidate. Her
win threw the town into a carnival
mood.
Wambui who was vying for the
seat on a TNA party ticket floored
Mary Wambui at Othaya CDF hall shortly before she was announced the
winner of Othaya Parliamentary seat. Picture: Kenyan Woman Correspondent
Over 500 of supporters thronged
around the town immediately after Othaya Returning officer James
Mbai announced that she is the winner.
Wambui who was accompanied
by her daughter Winnie when she
joined her supports in jubilation with
the mothers singing ‘Mama Wetu,
Haki Yetu’, while at the top of her vehicle.
As they had been saying as to who
is their preferred candidate, Othaya
voters dismissed Kibaki’s call to support Mugambi and instead went for
her.
Wambui is popular among the
people of Othaya for being down to
earth and socialising with the local
mwananchi. The businesswoman and
philanthropist is generous and kind to
many.
Wambui who has also been linked
with first family many a times has
been campaigning alone saying she
came with her two legs without the
backing of nobody.
However, King’ara who came in
second has since vowed to move to
court to challenge the results. Another
political rival Esau Kioni has dismissed
the elections as a sham.
Previously a nursery school
teacher, Wambui joined politics in
the 1980s as a Kanu activist and
was also charged with the responsibility of manning the Nyeri Kanu
office.
Although she has been very
visible in political functions at-
tended by the president, her desire
to vie for the Othaya Parliamentary seat saw her face the challenge
and shame of being barred from
functions attended by the head of
state. Towards the election date before the campaigns were officially
ended, Wambui was side-lined by
President Kibaki’s security detail.
She was locked out of presidential
functions and only Mugambi was
allowed where Kibaki endorsed
him publicly.
Mugambi was also endorsed by
Kibaki’s children Jimmy and Judy.
Jimmy was seen campaigning publicly for Mugambi who has been the
chairman of Othaya Development
Association for 10 years.
Kibaki has been on record saying
that although he is retiring, he will
still be working hand in hand with
people of Othaya. But as they say
there are no permanent enemies in
politics. The President has been the
MP for Othaya for over 38 years and
as Wambui steps into his shoes many
are holding their breath and waiting
to see how as the area MP Wambui
will work with the president together
when he retires this year as the Head
of State.
Debacle
When Wambui won the TNA
nominations few months ago, the certificate was given to Mugambi, an issue which sparked protests in Othaya
and drew condemnation from women’s groups.
Immediately Wambui announced
her intention to vie for the seat, four
Othaya residents went to the court to
challange the move saying that Wambui has been named in the Waki and
Artur reports. The case was later dismissed and
this allowed her to go ahead and vie
for the position.
Now that she has clinched the
Othaya seat, all that people expect is
to see her deliver on her promises.
8
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Journey towards attaining two
thirds rule should begin now
…By Joyce Chimbi
U
nlike many countries that
are recently emerging
from war, Kenya still has a
long way to go in as far as
women representation in positions of
leadership is concerned.
Rwanda, Liberia and even Sudan
have shown tremendous initiative towards ensuring that the political process is engendered by expanding the
space to accommodate women leaders.
According to a research on gender issues in the Great Lakes Regions of Africa, despite an increase
in women legislative bodies, women
continue to be underrepresented in
most structures of power and decision making.
Many have watched in dismay as
the political space that had been expanded to accommodate more women
in Kenya was occupied by scores of
men across the country.
Constitution
Although the Constitution demands that not more than two thirds
of the same gender should occupy
public elective positions, the Supreme
Court ruled that this clause will be
achieved progressively and should be
attained in 2015 within the national
assembly.
“This ruling threw the spanner into
the works and gave political parties a
loophole to ignore women,” says Julia
Mueni, a woman leader from Machakos County.
Indeed, the discrimination began
with the political party nominations.
When the political party primaries were held to nominate candidates to vie for elective positions, it
was evident that the political terrain
would be rougher for women than
ever before.
The male dominance of political
parties blatantly made a farce of the
space that had been expanded by the
gender sensitive Constitution of Kenya
2010 as scores of party tickets went to
male aspirants.
Still, about 91 women threw their
weight behind the National Assembly
seats across the 47 counties.
Only 16 women were elected in all
eight regions. The Rift Valley region
which in the previous parliament had
elected the highest number of women, only elected four women. Two of
them newcomers, only two out of the
seven female politicians who were in
the previous parliament successfully
defended their seats — Helen Sambili and Joyce Laboso. The rest succumbed to political party euphoria.
Political goodwill
“For a country to have elected
fewer women within the context of
the most gender sensitive constitution in the world is a message that we
are operating in a political context
that has very little, if any, political
goodwill for its female politicians,”
says Grace Gakii, a gender activist in
Nairobi.
Unlike before where only three
seats were contested for, namely the
Presidency, Member of Parliament
(MP) and Civic, there are now an additional three more seats.
“Although there were more seats
for women to compete for, the environment was still not enabling.
Women remained under attack from
male opponents and even the society,”
says Hamisa Zaja, a politician in the
Coastal region.
Violence
While there were fewer incidences of physical violence and assault
against female aspirants, the elections
were characterised by verbal abuse
and degrading sexual innuendoes.
When Veska Kangongo presented
her bid to vie for the gubernatorial
seat in Uasin Gishu County, Rift Valley, her rivals said that the first governor in the region will be “anything but
a woman”.
A statement that was dropped
across the country consequently leaving
only a handful of women to run for top
seats such as gubernatorial and senate.
Zaja explains that besides the
society’s negative attitude towards
women’s leadership, women are still
not able to amass the required resources to conduct high magnitude
campaigns.
“I pulled out of the race for the governor of Mombasa County under the
Wiper Democratic Movement because
I did not have the economic muscle required,” she says.
This is besides the money required
to oil an effective campaign that includes acquiring vehicles, fuelling them
to facilitate mobility and branding.
“Although there were
more seats for women
to compete for, the
environment was still
not enabling. Women
remained under attack
from male opponents
and even the society,”
— Hamisa Zaja, politician, Coastal
region
Martha Karua addressing her supporters in one of her campaigns. She
was the only female candidate for presidential seat and emerged number
six out of eight candidates. Picture: Kenyan Woman Correspondent
When Martha Karua, who
emerged sixth in the presidential race
announced that she only has KSh56
million to her name, it was not clear
how she would finance her campaign
machinery when her most serious rivals were talking about an KShs8 billion campaign budget.
Challenges
Other than resources the nomination fee was prohibitive to most women especially those seeking to vie for
high offices.
Besides resources, women aspirants faced serious challenges that included the violence that has become
a part and parcel of Kenyan politics.
“Women are not violent in nature;
they tend to shy away from violence.
This means that while the Constitution requires that not more than two
thirds of members of elective public
bodies should be of one gender, it will
be an uphill task, before women can
get there,” says John Ndeta, Media
Coordinator Peace Initiative Kenya
project.
If things went on the correct way,
out of the 290 members of the upcoming National Assembly, at least
117 ought to have been women. However, only 16 female aspirants made
it. Even after the elections failed to
favour women, among the 12 seats
that were left for party nominations,
only five women were picked for the
national assembly.
“The society is anything but supportive. Male politicians successfully
incited and confused voters to push
women to vie for the affirmative action
seat (women representative),” Mueni
explains.
It is only the women representative seat that will see the number of
women in the national assembly now
stand at 65 which will include two
women of who one will be a youth
and another living with disability.
Further, the manner in which
campaigns were conducted proved to
be a barrier for women.
“Men campaign and lobby at night
but for women it is different. You find
that a woman aspirant goes to bed
thinking that her position in the party
is secure, only to wake up to new realities in the morning after men have
kept their night vigils,” explains Zaja.
Women who defy these political
traditions face threats of rape, and
other forms of bodily harm.
Education
The fact that the constitution also
a put a minimum level of education
for those aspiring for political positions proved to be a challenge for
women. When the current crop of
women leaders should have been in
school, a good number of them were
not offered the opportunity. This
then restricted the number of women vying.
One of the strongest politicians
in Nairobi County, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru found herself locked out
of party nominations at the very last
minute for lack of a university degree.
“Before she was disqualified, Wanjiru had a massive following. But she’s
not alone, many women have shied
away from elective seats for lack of
post-secondary education,” Mueni explains.
Clearly, more than ever before, the
results of the general elections have
reaffirmed the perception that the
promise held in the Constitution, to
expand the political space for women,
is still far out of reach for a significantly high number of women harbouring
political dreams.
9
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Rachel
Ameso
It was a tough battle
Female MPs
reclaim seats
against odds
clinching the Kakamega
Women Representative seat
…By Ruth Omukhango
R
acheal Ameso’s untiring
journey of traversing Kakamega County for the
past seven months came
to a triumphant close when she was
declared the winner of the Women
Representative Seat after defeating
her competitors by a margin of over
70,000 voters.
Unlike other regions, Kakamega
County is vast with twelve constituencies and required that Ameso,
who was campaigning on the Orange Democratic Movement Party
(ODM) to spent sleepless hours on
the road on the campaign trail that
began in August, last year.
Ameso confesses that seeking to
capture the women’s representative
seat was more tedious compared
to that of an ordinary Member of
Parliament considering not only
the vastness of the county but challenges of poor infrastructure which
required women politicians to dig
deeper into their pockets to hire
expensive vehicles to penetrate difficult areas so as to reach the voters.
“Due to lack of proper infrastructure in constituencies, I was many
times forced to travel to Eldoret
County to find accommodation but
also in worst cases like Lugari Constituency, I had to sleep in the vehicle,”
explains Ameso.
Strategy
To successfully campaign in the
County, she had to understand the
different and unique issues in the
12 constituencies before addressing
the electorate. She admits that many
times she risked chances of being
short-changed by party campaigners
and brokers whose relationship was
merely based on trust.
Despite her success as a women
politician, her greatest challenge was
in fact that party coalitions worked
against women since candidates
within her CORD (Coalition for
Restoration of Democracy) were
allowed to vie in their individual
parties, therefore, facing stiff competition from candidates within the
alliance itself.
“The confusion within the Coalition drew mixed reactions from the
voters as it seemed like a husband
who had more than three wives and
all of them were competing against
…By Allan Murimi
T
each other,” says Ameso.
Popularly known for
her slogan: “Mama ni
Nyumba”, Ameso’s hopes
to fulfil the promises laid
down for the electorate
in the County as clearly
stipulated in the Kakamega County Manifesto.
Her passion is to empower
women and youth in the
county. She clearly emphasises that development
cannot happen in the absence of women in the region and hence the need to
bring them on board in all
aspects of development for
the betterment of both men
and women.
Vision
Ameso’s vision is embedded in one core prin- Rachel Ameso gearing up to tackle issues in the vast Kakamega County. Picture:
Ruth Omukhango
ciple — solutions to local
problems lie with the local
She is certain that empowering
lieves that the well-being of a family
people and, therefore, to fulfil the aspiration of women and men unit is critical to the wellbeing of a the youth in the county will drastically reduce the levels of insecurity
of Kakamega County by returning nation.
Having been born and brought and turn them around into producback to her community what they inup in the County, her biggest chal- tive and responsible men and women
vested in her.
Ameso who is currently pursu- lenge has been the literacy levels in in the community. The use of teching a Master’s Degree in Business the County which remain low and nology such as electricity to enable
Administration (Marketing Option) continues to breed a vicious cycle of them venture in income generating
at the Daystar University also holds poverty that has lasted over the years. businesses is critical to their growth.
“I look forward to the day when
a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce Early marriages are common in the
in Entrepreneurship from the Ke- County since most girls are unable to mothers will look forward to their
nya Methodist University (KEMU). continue with secondary education sons coming home with a packet of
With a solid background in business after they complete their Kenya Cer- milk rather than them being depenentrepreneurship, she is confident tificate of Primary Education (KCPE). dants,” she notes.
Saddened by the poor health conthat she will empower women and
ditions of women such as respiratory
youth economically in order to deThis is evident in the level of diseases like asthma and eye infecfend and promote the well-being of
women and girls in the community livelihoods as well as the inability tions caused by smoke from firewood
through providing safe spaces for to take up opportunities that would usage, she plans to sensitise women
contribute significantly to the well- on health hazards as well as introduce
their development.
“The empowerment of women being of everyone including large other convenient and safe methods
that can be harnessed to prevent such
and youth in the country will auto- families.
“One thing that I have observed infections.
matically address the current inseIn order to support women ecocurity in the county since businesses is that a number of women in urban
will create job opportunities for the centres look for girls from the Luhya nomically, Ameso would like to escommunity to be house girls and this tablish a strong women’s movement
youth,” says Ameso.
As an entrepreneur, she sees must come to an end,” says Ameso as that can enable members access
immense potential and opportu- she justifies why girl child education reasonable amounts of credit which
nities that can be harnessed in the and women’s empowerment is top on they will pump into income generating activities.
county to improve livelihood. She her agenda.
“I have lived in this same village
“Merry go rounds have in the
believes in empowering her community through the ordinary means for like them but what has set me apart past worked for women but the imis my education,” she notes. Ameso pact has remained small and reduced
them to become productive.
“We have a lot of resources in Ka- believes in modelling girls and boys women to social gatherings,” she obkamega County that can be tapped to excel to the next level of education serves adding her idea will involve
and exploited for the benefit of our so that they can be change agents that changing perceptions of business in
order to take it to the next level.
people,” observes Ameso. She be- the community desires.
Inability
wo female politicians in Mt
Kenya region have made history after they were re-elected in
constituencies that have history
of being represented by male parliamentarians.
Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire and her
Nyeri town colleague Esther Murugi beat
their male rivals to retain their seats on
The National Alliance (TNA) tickets.
Mbarire beat her Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) rival Eric Muchangi with more
than 8,000 votes after garnering 28,231
against Muchangi’s 19,954 votes.
In Nyeri Town, Murugi beat her closest rival Maina Mathenge who vied on a
Government of National Unity (GNU)
ticket with more than 7,000 votes to retain her seat. She garnered 28,564 against
Mathenge’s 21,154 votes.
The two constituencies had never
been represented by women in parliament until 2002 when the two politicians
broke the jinx.
During the 2002 elections, Mbarire
beat Martin Nyaga Wambora to become
the first woman MP for Runyenjes Constituency while Murugi beat P.G Murithi
in the 2007 General Elections.
“I am happy because Christians prayed
for me and we were able to overcome the
curse that is perceived to have befallen
Nyeri since time immemorial that no MP
can be re-elected,” said Murugi.
Speaking after winning the seat in
Nyeri Town seat, Murugi said she was
happy to have broken the so called curse
twice.
Mbarire said that she was happy to
have broken the jinx adding that her constituents are changing in the way they
elect their leaders.
“I think the people of Runyenjes are
changing in the way they elect their leaders. They looked at my performance and
wanted continuity for full growth,” she
said.
Her father the late Njagi Mbarire was
the only MP to have been re-elected in
Runyenyes Constituency in the early
1970s.
Coincidentally, Runyenjes Constituency was carved off Manyatta Constituency in 1988 as Nyeri Town was hived off
the larger Nyeri Constituency in the same
year.
Murugi served the Kibaki government first as Minister for Gender and
Children’s Affairs before moving to the
Special Programmes ministry.
Mbarire served as Tourism Assistant
Minister while earlier she had been the
Transport Assistant Minister between
2005 and 2007.
Women lawyers take leadership in Narok
…By Munene Maina
W
omen campaigning in Narok faced
a myriad of challenges that included
lack of finances to move around in
the expansive area that has very poor
roads. Although the community is gradually accepting women leaders, cultural impediments remain a
big hurdle to many women seeking political seats.
Unlike in the past elections women came out in
large numbers to vote as early as 4 am and braced
the scorching heat in long queues before casting
their votes. There were no major incidences against
women in most polling stations in the county.
Soipan Tuya will be the first Narok women representative after a land slide victory in a hotly contested race pitting other six contenders.
She garnered 108,381 votes to emerge the win-
ner with her closest competitor Mercy Cheroyitch
getting 53,981 votes.
Tuya, an advocate of the High, beat the hitherto seasoned political rivals like Lydia Masikonte
and Agnes Pareiyo who became third and fourth
respectively.
Masikonte, daughter to former Narok North
MP William Ole Ntimama and Pareiyo a renowned
anti-FGM crusader both served in Narok County
Council as nominated councillors.
Masikonte got 28,497 votes while Pareiyo got
26,832.
Tuya will be the first woman in the history of
Narok to be elected in Parliament. Being the women representative in a county where women are
subjected to cultural gender discrimination that
impede their empowerment, she faces an uphill
task to ensure women overcome the challenge.
Among the issues Tuya hopes to fight against
are female genital mutilation (FGM) which stands
at 73 per cent in Maa community as well as early
child marriages. She is expected also to ensure that
women in the county are empowered economically, socially and politically.
During her campaigns, Tuya promised a new
dawn to women and youth in the county saying her
leadership will transform the community.
Experience
With her experience working with the government and non-governmental organisations around
issues of human rights and gender access to justice,
women and youth hope her tenure in parliament
will change their position in society especially in
leadership where they are sidelined.
Tuya, is the daughter of a former Narok South
MP Samson ole Tuya. She holds undergraduate and
post-graduate degrees in law.
Another woman who will be at the helm of
Narok leadership will be Evelyn Chepkurui who
will serve in the capacity of deputy governor. Chepkurui, also a lawyer, has in the past contested for
parliamentary seat to no avail. In 2007 General
Election she came second in the contest for Narok
South parliamentary seat.
Another woman is Leah Ntimama who has been
at the forefront campaigning for URP in Narok. She
is expected to be nominated to the Senate.
Other women who vied for other positions
did not go through. The only woman running for
Narok South parliamentary seat Ruth Too came
last with 647 votes in a race dominated by men.
Janet Naserian also tried her luck in Kilgoris Constituency only to be defeated in the ODM primaries.
10
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Bright future for the disabled in the new political dispensation
…By Joseph Mukubwa
T
he face of the country’s political arena has changed
with the recent election of
people with disabilities in
political positions. As the results were
announced for the six elective positions, names of people living with disabilities featured prominently.
The first notable one was lawyer Tim Wanyonyi who was elected
Member of Parliament Westland
Constituency. Despite the challenges
he faced of campaigning on a wheel
chair, Wanyonyi went on to beat several rivals to clinch the seat previously
held by Local Government Minister
Fred Gumo who has since retired
from politics after two decades.
Wanyonyi, is looking forward to
be sworn in while on a wheel chair
together with the 289 other men and
women. He joins former Samburu
East Sammy Leshore who was elected
Senator for Samburu County. Leshore
has been on a wheel chair ever since
he survived an assassin’s bullet forcing
him to use a wheelchair for the rest of
his second term in the august House.
They will be joined by four others
who will be a man and woman who
will be nominated to the National
Assembly and another man and
woman who will be nominated to
the Senate. The four will be people
living with disability.
Others who have trailed the path
of politics while physically disabled
include the late MP for Mumias
Constituency Dr Elon Wameyo who
was elected in 1979 and served until
1997. The later former Gem MP Dr
Oki Ooko Ombaka became blind in
the middle of his tenure after being
elected on a Ford Kenya ticket in
1992. Lawyer Josephine Sino was a
Nominated MP by Safina party in
1998 and served for one term.
interpreter.
They educated them on the Constitution and offered civic education
in relation to the elections, reminding them of their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
According to Josephine Aska,
Chief Executive Officer Federation of
Deaf Women Empowerment at the organization was started four years ago.
Initially it targeted people with disabilities but later discovered that even
normal people wanted to join the programme as it was an interesting group.
“Initially, the trick was to look for better ways to convince them using the
signs and later the people got used,”
explains Aska. She adds: “We have ofIn the pre-election periodthere
fered civic education to hundreds of
were a number of organisations that
people who keenly listened to us. Most
targeted people living with disability
of the people in Nyeri and Kirinyaga
Lawyer Tim Wanyonyi who
in creating awareness around the new
counties responded very well to the
campaigned on a wheel chair and
political dispensation and voting.
programme.”
managed to beat several rivals to
Among the voter-education groups
Aska notes that basic education
was Federation of Deaf Women Em- clinch the seat previously held by Local on the Bill of Rights impressed many.
powerment Network which focused
Government Minister Fred Gumo.
However, she observes that most had
on people who were hard of hearing.
Picture:Kenyan Woman Correspondent
difficulties in understanding issues
Indeed, as many organisations
around devolved government.
struggled to offer civic education on
“We use sign language and an
the eve of the General Election, this
where they are not able to talk and are interpreter while educating which
special group made up of deaf mem- of hard hearing, they walked the ex- is the easiest way, although it is a big
bers went beyond borders.
tra mile to educate over 800 people in challenge to many,” she explains.
Despite them being in a position many parts of the country through an
Through funding from the UNDP
Awareness
…By Albert Mutua
T
…By Joseph Mukubwa
F
Nyeri county new team from left former Mathira MP Nderitu Gachagua, Nyeri women rep
Priscilla Nyokabi and Nyeri Senator Mutahi Kagwe recently immediately after they were
announced winners at Nyeri Moi Primary School. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa
for Nyeri County. Her priorities include matters touching on the youth
and education as well as ensuring
there is piped water in all homes
within the county.
She has had her input in various boards of schools within the
county. “I also serve on the Karima
Boys’ School Board where I prepared the strategic plan that saw
the school start a progressive journey from mean grade 5.8 to last
year’s 8.8 becoming the best boys’
school in Nyeri South District,” she
explains.
She is also a member of the
Gatugi Girls’ and Muirungi Secondary schools boards.
Record
Previously she served as a programme officer with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Kenya chapter.
“In early 2004, I joined the Kenyan Section of the International
Commission of Jurists as an Assistant Programmes Officer and rose
through the ranks to Senior Programmes Officer,” says Nyokabi who
has now moved from the courts to
politics.
In August 2009, she joined
Kituo cha Sheria as the Executive
Director when the predecessor Dr
Ekuru Aukot joined the Committee
of Experts on constitutional review. She is a recognised human
rights lawyer and has travelled
across the globe in advancement of
the human rights agenda in Kenya
and globally. This is what she will
want to exercise as she serves the
people of Nyeri County.
Sebisubi leaves a mark in the race for Kinango seat
…By Teryani Mwadzaya
R
ehmat Nadzua Sebisubi
may have lost her bid for
the Kinango Constituency parliamentary seat
in the just concluded General Elections but will firmly be remembered for her brevity in challenging
the male dominated political field.
Sebisubi, who was contesting on
Unity Party of Kenya ticket, did not
shy away from the hotly contested
race which had attracted seven male
aspirants including the incumbent
Samuel Gonzi Rai who retained the
seat.
By remaining firmly in the race,
Sebisubi managed to build her social, political and economic profile
Funds
The Federation of Deaf Women
Empowerment Network has over 3,700
members countrywide with 420 of
them coming from Nyeri County and
over 100 from neighbouring Kirinyaga
County. Aska, who is interested being
nominated to represent the disabled
notes that many of their members are
also interested in the special seat and
their being deaf should not be used as a
barrier to ascending political positions.
She urges Kenyans to embrace the
disabled as provided in the Constitution so that they can represent their
own in the County assemblies, Parliament and Senate.
The Network has offices in Central, Coast, Rift Valley and Western
provinces.
However, Aska urges more donors
to chip in and fund the group saying
lack of resources has been a major
challenge.
Women post poor
performance in Taita
Taveta County
Human rights
defender
clinches Nyeri
county seat
ormer Kituo Cha Sheria
executive director Priscilla
Nyokabi has been elected
the Nyeri County Women
representative.
The National Alliance (TNA)
party candidate garnered 215,418
against her closest rival Mukami
Wachira who got 62,725 votes. Other contestants were Ann Nyambura
(DP) 17,225, Sheila Githaiga (Narc)
17,088 and Cathy Irungu (Mazingira
party) 12,456.
Nyokabi, 35, who is an advocate of the High Court holds a degree in law from the University of
Nairobi.
She hopes to develop teamwork
within the next three months which
will help in drafting a development
plan for the county.
Ambitious, hardworking, selfdriven, self-motivated, positive and
pragmatic, Nyokabi has huge plans
under Amkeni Wakenya the group
received KSh1.2 million which they
used to inform and educate hundreds
of voters.
“Amkeni-Wakenya helped us
most in funding and capacity building. They improved our work very
much as well,” says Aska.
in the community.
Sebisubi had promised to introduce projects geared towards
alleviating poverty if elected. Records from the Kwale District
Development Plan 2004-2008,
indicate that poverty levels in the
area remain high with about 50
per cent of the population living
in absolute poverty. Leadership
she believed that a woman can
take charge of public affairs and
offer alternative leadership based
on integrity and rule of law.
However, she faced the customary laws of the Durumas, who just
like their Digo counterparts, use
traditional systems of governance
that are purely dominated by men
to resolve cases of murder, adultery,
fornication, divorce, marriage and
theft within the community.
“Although I garnered 674 votes
against the 20,000 votes bagged by
the winner, I am happy that I managed to remain in the race upto the
last minute and trounced some of
my male opponents,” she said during an interview.
Her campaign mainly focused
on promoting girl-child education which resonated well with the
womenfolk.
“Although I lost the elections, it is my sincere hope that
the MP-elect will work towards
the realisation of people’s aspiraSebisubi lost in the 2013 elections
tions,” Sebisubi reiterated adding
but still believes in her course.
her ‘dreams’ will not fade into
Picture: Teryani Mwadzaya
oblivion.
he March 4 General Election was a historical event that took place under the
new constitution. The process of electing six leaders as opposed to three in
the past elections was a gruelling ordeal.
In Taita Taveta county things were not different as there was a huge turnout of voters to
exercise their democratic right. Taita Taveta has
four constituencies namely Voi, Mwatate, Wundanyi and Taveta with over 120,000 registered
voters.
Security was beefed up within the County
despite few reported incidents in Taveta and
Wundanyi constituencies where some leaflets
were dropped warning people not to vote for a
particular candidate.
However, despite women turning out to vie
for positions that included governor, senator as
well as MP and women’s and county ward representatives, they posted a dismal performance.
According to Edina Damian Milimito who
was contesting for the position of a County
Assembly representative and the only woman
among eleven aspirants, the challenge was
when the IEBC refused to clear her for lack of
an identity card.
Hiccups
“The IEBC refused to clear me for the seat
for lack of an ID after I lost the original copy a
few weeks before the elections,” said Milimito, a
veterinary officer.
However, all was not lost for the immediate former Taveta MP Naomi Shaban who
trounced her closest rival Ruth Lelewu of ODM
in a race that had attracted nine candidates. Taveta has 24,499 registered voters with about 66
polling stations.
According to results released by the IEBC
Shaban clinched 6357 votes against her closest
rival Basil Criticos 6,251, Mike Banton 4,190,
Stephen Odiaga 1,396, Ruth Lelewu 1,180, Muli
Kimenzu 654, Jerry Kimaro 302, Raphael Nzuki 179 and Patrick Ngoto had 105 votes.
The entire voting process was termed as unfair by other candidates in Taita Taveta County.
Lelewu cited discrimination against women candidates.
“We really had it rough as our opponents
especially men dished out money during the
campaigns but Shaban managed to retain her
seat on a TNA ticket,” she said.
11
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Beth Muchiri
The only woman
elected in Laikipia
County
…By Paul Mwaniki
B
eth Waithira Muchiri is
the only woman in Laikipia County who won in the
hotly contested election to
secure a place in the new county assembly.
Muchiri, 30, trounced former Laikipia County Council Chairman Joseph Karonji twice after he sought an
Agano party certificate after losing to
her in the TNA nominations.
She will now represent Tigithi
Ward in the County assembly, a seat
that has been held by men over the
last 30 years. Decamping
“Most of my male competitors
refused to give up after I trounced
them during the party primaries.
Majority decamped to other parties
so that they could be in the ballot box
but I was ready for a re-run,” says an
elated Muchiri after she emerged the
winner.
The youthful winner attributes her
victory to the willingness of the electorate to embrace change in leadership in the region. She notes that the
region has lagged behind in development due to bad leadership.
Muchiri notes that despite having
received immense resources, only a
handful of projects that directly benefit the residents have been implemented in the County.
“Most educated youths have been
left to languish in unending poverty
despite the fact that the government
introduced the youth fund,” she observes.
She says her immediate duty is to
work with the Government to channel more funds to the grassroots
where cottage industries have shown
potential.
“Tigithi Ward in Laikipia Central
District is known for its productivity in crop production and what the
youths need here is capital to own
greenhouses so that as groups they
can reap highly from the resources,”
she explains.
Muchiri who was born and
brought up in the County maintains
that she is better placed to articulate
the aspirations of the local people.
At the same time she notes that
most women lost in the election due
to lack of resources and other respon-
sibilities that are vested in them
at family level.
“Young mothers like me have the
responsibility of bringing up children
at home as well as other chores that
require women to submit to their husbands,” she explains.
Approval
On resources, Waithira notes that
in a home most property still belongs
to the man and it is hard to use the
same resources in your campaigns
without seeking his approval and this
is why majority of women are hardly
able to sell their agenda.
However, she thinks women
should be more persistent in politics
if they want to reach the level of their
male competitors.
Her plea to The National Alliance
(TNA) party which garnered eleven
seats in the county and will have a
vacancy for eight nominations is to
award at least five or six women who
tirelessly tried but failed on other
grounds.
Councillor Jane Wanjugu who contested on a TNA ticket in Segera Ward
and came second blamed it on retrogressive culture among some com-
munities which up
to now have not
embraced women
leadership.
“Though I campaigned
tirelessly,
Beth Muchiris race was crowded by men but she
I found it hard to
made it through. Picture: Paul Mwaniki
penetrate the regions
where some commusaw almost every woman going for
nities embraced their
men other than women coming from it instead of opting for the seat with
outside in Laikipia North Constitu- less scope in campaigns but all inclusive Member of Parliament.
ency,” she notes.
According to Helen Kurutu who
Wanjugu garnered over 1,200
votes while the winner scooped over lost during the nominations for the
women’s seat, most women fear com1,600.
Having been elected in the previ- peting with men and this explains
ous councils for two terms in her for- why they all decided to go for the
mer ward before they were joined to seat because they were assured of fair
form a bigger ward with diverse cul- play.
However, the number of women
tures, Wanjugu says there is need for
more civic education so that com- who offered themselves for the elecmunities can accept to give women a tive positions especially in the County
Representative was higher than previchance in leadership.
Though women are shying away ous years and this can be termed as
from major political seats, the cre- something positive coming from the
ation of the Women’s Representative affirmative action.
seat has acted as an eye opener that
Women lose and gain seats in Naivasha’s political strongholds
…By Steve Mucheru
W
omen vying for the senator’s seat
in the Nakuru County in the recently concluded General Election found the terrain rough as
they were shoved aside by male counterparts
despite putting up a spirited campaign.
Those aspiring for political seats in the
Naivasha Constituency gave the Governor’s
and parliamentary seat a wide berth preferring
to run for the senator position. Among them
was former legislator Jayne Kihara who ended
up being among those vanquished for going
against the grain.
The former Member of Parliament and one
time assistant minister failed to overcome the
Jubilee wave, having contested on a Narc-Kenya ticket.
Despite being a crowd puller during her
hey days in the National assembly, Kihara
found a different ball game when vying for a
more senior position and had 11 constituencies to contend with.
Prospects
“I was banking on the electorate from
Naivasha and Gilgil to shore up the numbers
but things did not work my way. The Jubilee
euphoria was at its crescendo,” notes former
legislator.
Blessed with a personal clout, Kihara was
largely expected to give her competitors a run
for their money regardless of the party affiliation but her calculations this time round failed
to win her substantial votes. Distraught by the loss, Kihara decided to
quit politics and ply her trade on personal
business. “I have learnt my lesson in politics.
I had my good and bad times in the political
arena but I am now quitting elective posts,”
she says.
Kihara alluded to have confidently expected to do well in the senatorial contest, but
could not withstand the TNA euphoria in the
county.
“It is distressing that the party euphoria is
still a major factor in politics despite the new
political order,” notes Kihara. She says: “I am
looking forward to a time when the electorate
will evaluate a candidate’s ability to deliver instead of voting along party lines.”
Her former constituents gave her a paltry 16,287 votes compared to the eventual
winner, James Kiarie Mungai who garnered
56,778 votes to walk away with the prized
trophy.
The huge margin was, perhaps, what
led to Kihara to retire from politics having
turned down calls by the electorate to vie
for the MP’s seat which she could have easily
clinched.
Competition
Her fellow competitor Josepha Wambui
Mambo of Grand National Union (GNU) also
fared dismally securing 2,303 votes only. She
could not hold out the heat in a campaign that
had men calling the shots.
But, perhaps, on a lighter side, women
candidates in the race for the County Representative seat both in Naivasha and Gilgil
constituencies had the last laugh with Eunice
Wambui Muriithi trouncing her rivals to win
the Viwandani ward in Naivasha Constituency.
Going by the acronym, Mama Soko she
enjoyed near fanatical following and appealed to almost all the electorate including
the youth, perhaps due to the nature of her
work as market vendor.
She rode to victory on the little known
Mazingira Green Party garnering 6,213 votes
to stem off the URP and TNA wave.
She was initially in TNA but failed to
secure the party ticket and quickly jumped
ship to the smaller party believing that she
had been rigged out. The fanatical support
Former Naivasha MP and NARC-Kenya senatorial aspirant for Nakuru County Mrs. Jayne
Kihara. She lost her bid to TNA’s James Kiarie Mungai. Picture: Steve Mucheru
became a boon as she secured the seat at the
end.
“I don’t believe the TNA nominations were
free and fair forcing me to seek refuge elsewhere, luckily, the results have vindicated my
decision,” said the affable Mama Soko.
Winners
However, she had to endure tense moments before upstaging her main rival from
URP with slightly more than 100 votes.
In Gilgil, women were laughing all the way
to the Country assembly as three of them were
elected on a TNA ticket.
Leading the pack was the Gilgil Ward
County Representative elect Jane Ngugi who
polled 6,791 while her closest challenger trailing behind her with more than 3,000 votes.
Others who made women proud included
Monicah Gitau who won the Morendat civic
seat and Jane Simita who won the Eburru/Baruk seat in the newly created Gilgil Constituency.
Despite vying on a popular party, the three
had to overcome the rigours of party nominations, in the process flooring seasoned political heavyweights to have a smooth ride to the
assembly.
“We had to overcome stereotypes and did
a lot of mobilisation during our campaigns,
luckily the majority of voters supported our
bid,” notes Ngugi.
12
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Women candidates in Nyanza locked out
…By Oloo Janak
T
he absence of elected women
from Nyanza in the Kenyan
National Assembly over
nearly a decade has been a
shameful blot on a region that played a
pioneering role in recognising the importance and role of women as leaders
right from independence.
It was Nyanza that produced Grace
Onyango, a pioneer woman leader in
Kenya who was not only the first woman elected to parliament but also the
first woman mayor.
The region was later to produce
great women leaders, notably former
Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo, and
former Gem MP and one time Assistant Minister Grace Ogot. Catherine
Nyamato also from the region served
as a nominated MP, increasing the tally
in the 1990s.
Of course other women have previously been elected and served at
lower levels. These include two former
Homa Bay County Council chairpersons Jane Were and Dorcas Matunga,
former Kisumu and Migori mayors
Priscah Auma and Truphosa Adawo
respectively.
Gap
At the parliamentary level, the gap
has been worrying over the past ten
years. Other regions, traditionally synonymous with gender disparities in
terms of representation are slowly embracing change. Rift Valley, for instance,
managed to bring a record seven women legislators to the last parliament.
During the just concluded General Elections, Nyanza was expected to
bring in several MPs. Gender equality
advocates from the region had campaigned hard and long but their efforts
returned minimal numbers from the
constituencies.
Only Millie Odhiambo, who was
nominated MP in the last Parliament,
got elected to represent Mbita Constituency, formerly represented by Otieno
Kajwang, now Homa Bay Senator.
The election did not come easy for
Odhiambo, popularly referred to as
“Gesa Gesa”, on account of her agility,
debating prowess and visibility.
Odhiambo, a lawyer by profession
and renowned gender equality advocate
has through her election broken a jinx
of sorts. She has been elected where she
was born –making her among the Luo,
the first migogo (the usual reference to
a lady married elsewhere by her relatives in her birth place) to achieve the
feat.
Constitution
The constitutional provisions that
allocated women seats at the County
level has proved a saving grace for
Nyanza as Odhiambo will now have
companionship from the six Women
County Representatives recently
elected.
The Women County Representatives from Nyanza who were all elected
on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket are: Gladys Wanga
(Homa Bay,) Denitah Ghati (Migori),
Dr Christine Ombaka (Siaya), Mary
Sally Keraa (Kisii), Alice Chae (Nyamira) and Rose Nyamunga (Kisumu).
While it is true that a number of
women came out to contest various
positions, constituency seats did not attract as many women as was expected.
There were no prominent names contesting as MPs except at the County
Women Representative level and a few
for governorship.
The second time loss of Roza Buyu
to lawyer Olago Aluoch, by a narrow
margin is probably the most painful
among women MP aspirants. Buyu
put up a gallant fight on an ODM
ticket against a determined onslaught
from Olago Aluoch on Ford Kenya
ticket, who was aided by what many
believe to be clan and gender considerations in Kisumu West, still predominantly rural and conservative.
Former Provincial Education Officer and later Teachers Service Commissioner Roselyn Onyuka lost the
race for the Homa Bay County Women
Representative at the ODM party primaries Wanga.
In Migori, Anne Omodho Anyanga, wife to Nyatike MP Edick Omondi
Anyanga, who waged a determined
fight for the governor’s seat, including
using a helicopter to campaign in the
vast county, lost her quest for the seat.
She nearly became deputy governor as she later dropped her bid to
become running mate to Prof Edward Oyugi who lost narrowly by less
than 180 votes to Okoth Obado who
clinched the seat.
Women aspirants in Siaya County hold their hands as a sign of solidarity before the elections. Only one woman
was elected for the position of a County Assembly Representative. Picture: Omondi Gwengi.
Ruth Odinga, a sister to ODM
presidential candidate Raila Odinga
lost her quest to become Kisumu
County Governor amid tension and
discrimination based on her dominant
family background but has bounced
back to become the Deputy Governor
to the eventual winner Jack Ranguma.
In Siaya, Dr Concilia Ondiek, an
educationist and wife to former Ugenya
MP Bishop Stephen Ondiek, failed in
her bid to be elected Women Representative, losing to Ombaka. A former nun
and a scholar, who contested for governorship as an independent candidate,
also lost her quest to Rasanga Amoth.
Numbers
It is, however, encouraging to note
that many women this time round
came out to contest for seats even
though most of them lost. Those who
have won seats will be role models
and an encouragement to other women that all is not lost in their quest for
gender parity.
Many of them were women of substance, from the academia, business
and civil society, indicating that in future the region will not lack the kind
of human resource required at various
levels of political leadership.
The equation of gender representation at the national, senate and county
assemblies will obviously improve the
situation for the region and make up
for gaps that the political party primaries and the actual election brought up.
Almost all the six counties in Nyanza will need to nominate more women
to the County Assembly given that
most of the Ward Representatives elected were men. For instance, in Migori
County, only one woman was elected
as county representative out of the 39
seats.
Kisii and Kuria communities, who
have been more conservative and negative against the election of women to
key elective positions have this time
produced two Women County Assembly Representatives — Alice Chae
(Nyamira) and Denitah Ghati (Migori).
In the case of Ghati, it is important
to note that most of her Kuria people
still felt negative towards her candidature but she had a huge appeal across
the County, making the majority Luo
and other smaller ethnic groups vote
her easily against other Luo women
candidates.
The challenge is for the women
leaders and indeed the entire leadership of the region to forge ahead with
the fight for greater gender parity at all
levels, both elective and appointive positions to ensure that Nyanza regains
its pivotal role as torch in producing
and nurturing women leaders.
This will require determined effort, starting at school level as the
number of women being produced to
join universities and other tertiary institutions have significantly dropped
over the last two decades.
Challenges
There will also be need for sustained campaign against negative cultural practices and attitudes that have
in the past affected the participation of
women in leadership at various levels.
The women elected to various positions and those who will be nominated
must work hard to show that women
can indeed make a difference when given leadership positions, as indeed has
been amply demonstrated in the past.
It can be said, confidently, that for
Nyanza, the 2017 General Election will
see a major shift in attitude towards
women and many more are certain to
be elected at different levels.
Party wave upset realisation of gender rule
…By Robert Wanjala
W
omen candidates performed dismally under the strong wave
of United Republican
Party (URP) that swept Uasin Gishu
County in the just concluded general
elections.
During party nominations, only a
handful of women who secured URP
tickets, were guaranteed a clean win
in the final polls. The general elections for them were just a formality.
“Whether you like it or not Uasin Gishu County and by extension
Rift Valley at large was a URP zone.
Like most voters I voted for any
candidate who was on URP ticket,”
says Calvin Koech, a resident in Uasin Gishu County.
Koech says women who vied
on other political parties suffered a
humiliating defeat for going against
the community’s wishes. However,
there are men who won on parties
such as Kanu despite the URP wave.
However, strong women like Margaret Kamar lost for going against
the grain.
According to Eunice Wairimu,
a voter: “This election was not so
much about candidates but rather
alienation to political parties. Right
from party primaries, women were
never given a fair chance to stand.
Female candidates we expected were
edged out leaving limited option to
choose from.”
Wairimu notes that women
who decamped to other unpopular
parties in the region again did not
make any impact during campaigns
because of financial limitations and
other factors.
A few of the female candidates
who braved the URP wave on unpopular parties still lost to their competitors despite their potential to offer
quality and effective leadership.
Political wave
According to Richard Maina,
Regional Programme Officer with
Transparency International, most
women candidates failed to capture
seats in the recent General Election
due to strong political party waves.
Maina also blames strong cultural beliefs and financial challenges as
factors that prevented most women
from competing favourably.
“Women who vied on unpopular
parties met the wrath of voters in spite
of their potential to offer quality and
effective leadership,” notes Maina.
Defeat
He observes that female candidates from pastoralist areas were
hardest hit as they were forced to solicit financial support from their unwilling husbands.
Maina notes that most husbands
were not willing to support their
wives saying that politics was a tricky
venture.
“Majority of women stood out
as the greatest losers because of lack
of resources for elaborate campaigns
coupled with cultural issues,” observes Maina.
Higher Education Minister Professor Margret Kamar conceded gubernatorial defeat against 39 year-old
Jackson Mandago, a former Teacher
Service Commission official who
garnered 210,682 out of the possible
286,838 cast votes.
Kamar who vied on an Orange
Democratic Movement (ODM) garnered 70,912 votes.
Eusilah Ngeny (URP) won the
Women Representative seat which
had attracted seven candidates fighting on various political parties. Ngeny garnered 213, 487 votes against
her closest competitor Moira Chepkok, (ODM who stood a distant second with 36,970 out of the 290,429
votes cast.
A handful of women secured
county representative seats. Rebecca
Magut and Josephine Tireite won
Kuinet Kapsuswa and Cheptiret Kipchamo ward seats respectively.
Numbers
Maina says most male candidates
mounted high political campaigns
where women could not afford to foot
such expenses.
Most communities are yet to fully
appreciate the potential of women’s
leadership. Maina blames political
parties urging them to review their
constitution to ensure free and fair
nominations.
He notes that very few women
would have landed leadership posi-
tions if affirmative action had not
provided for the direct election of
47 women representatives across
counties.
In Uasin Gishu County alone, less
than six women managed to capture
various seats in the recent concluded
general elections.
URP of Jubilee Coalition swept all
the six seats in Uasin Gishu County
with the Presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta garnering 212,684 votes
against the total 288,752 cast votes.
Raila Odinga’s ODM, a key partner of Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) came a distant second with 60,424 votes and the rejected
votes stood at 5,279.
All the six constituencies – Soy
and Turbo formerly Eldoret North,
Kapseret and Kesses formerly Eldoret South and Anabkoi and Moiben
curved up from former Eldoret East
were swept by URP.
While declaring winners, Truphosa Korir the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
(IEBC) Uasin Gishu County Returning Officer, said the elections were
free and fair.
13
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Esther Murugi breaks
the curse of Nyeri Town
S
…By Joseph Mukubwa
pecial Programmes minister Esther Murugi has
broken the jinx widely associated with Nyeri Town
Constituency that all elected
Members of Parliament in the area
serve for only one term.
This is the second time she has
proved sceptics wrong. When she
won the seat in 2007, Murugi became the first woman to be elected
legislator in the constituency.
“I need to thank all Christians
who prayed for me to break the
two curses. I now have the energy
to serve the Nyeri Town people
for another term. They have now
nicknamed me ‘Mama Simba’,” she
said after being declared winner.
Victory
Murugi who was vying on
a The National Alliance (TNA)
party ticket garnered 28,564 votes
against her closest rival Duncan
Maina Mathenge who garnered
21,154.
Others were George Miatu
5,341, Paul Kanyari 2,084, Ng’ang’a
Kibue 880 and Nginga Kimotho
442 votes.
Mathenge has since vowed to
challenge the elections in court.
Murugi urged winners and losers to join hands and ensure that
the Constituency moves forward.
She called on the electorate
to forget about the politics of sixpiece-vote since the Nyeri people
spoke through their vote and decided to elect some leaders who
were not of TNA party.
Murugi’s first agenda this term
is to ensure that the Nyeri Provin-
cial General Hospital is upgraded to a referral hospital.
The 60-year-old minister was
first elected Nyeri Town MP in
2007 after unsuccessfully contesting in the previous elections.
She was then appointed Minister
for Gender and Children Affairs
and later moved to Special Programmes Ministry.
Membership
Murugi holds a degree in
Land Economics from University of Nairobi and is a member
of the Institute of Surveyors of
Kenya 1989 Valuation and Estate Agents Chapter and also
a member of the Institute of
Surveyors of Kenya 1987 Land
Management Chapter.
Murugi has also been a member of Soroptimist International
which is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professionals working
through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.
Soroptimist activities are
carried out under economic and
social development, education,
environment, health, human
rights/status of women and international goodwill and understanding.
In 1977–1980 she worked as
a Lands Officer attached to the
Commissioner of Lands.
She has also been practicing as a Registered Estate Agent
operating under Lustman & Co.
(90) where the company offers
property management services
and has been Managing Director of Njanja Holding Limited.
A
market trader has defied all odds to
clinch a civic ward seat in Viwandani
ward in Gilgil.
For Eunice Wambui Mureithi, life
prospects are set to change after voters endorsed
her candidature overwhelmingly. Mureithi who
contested on the Mazingira Party ticket managed
an impressive 6,213 votes against her closest rival
who garnered a paltry 112 votes.
Popularly known as Mama Soko, Mureithi is
widely known for selling bananas and watermelon at the Naivasha Wholesale Market.
During the campaigns her opponents dismissed her as a joker and it took them by surprise
when she was announced the winner.
Challenges
At the market place where she sells vegetables, fellow traders could not believe that she had
won the seat and thanked God for granting her
the win, with more than 1,000 people kneeling in
their stalls to pray.
However, Mureithi admits that it was not an
easy race for her. Only a few days before the elections, her campaign team was attacked by rowdy
goons hired by her competitors.
“They beat us up and tore our dresses. They
could not believe that a market place could produce any leader to govern them,” Mureithi said
in an interview.
…By Ryan Mathenge
A
fter months of vigorous campaigns women who were eying
various positions managed to
claim elective slots during the
March 4 General Election.
Although incidents of fear and intimidations had been reported, no violence
was officially recorded to the authorities
such as the police and Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
It also emerged that for the first time
the public embraced and tolerated women
contesting for various seats in Central Kenya as enshrined in the Constitution.
In the past elections, many of the
women assumed civic leadership positions and through nominations as
members of parliament.
Female candidates who were vying
on The National Alliance party ticket
sailed through to clinch the seats thus
defeating their male rivals after a year of
bruising campaigns.
Institutions
Nyeri Town MP who is also the Special Programmes Minister Esther
Murugi celebrates with her supporters in Nyeri town after being reelected as an MP recently. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa
Money fails to impress in the choice
for Viwandani ward representative
…By Nicole Waithira
Joint campaigns
attract women
to the electorate
in Murang’a
County Her biggest challenge was a smear campaign targeted at her during the electioneering
period.
“Some of those behind the smear campaign
were women who cautioned people against voting for me because I was a single mother,” notes
Mureithi.
Her other challenge was lack of resources as she
did not have enough money to conduct huge political rallies.
“I survive through selling bananas and I
could not afford to hold big rallies. It was too
expensive. In most cases I was forced to walk
for long distances and relied mainly on word of
mouth to solicit for votes. This was quite different as majority of my competitors could afford
to lavish their supporters with goodies,” she explained.
These, coupled with the fact that her party
“Those who dare contest for
political seats are branded
as prostitutes and women
of loose morals. We have also
been told that we cannot hold
our homes.”
— Eunice Wambui
was unknown, made her competitors take advantage and hence start spreading rumours that
she was vying on another party which was unpopular in the area.
Mureithi promises to fight for the rights of
the children in the area, saying that even though
the children did not cast their votes, they were
the first ones to help in spreading the word that
she was vying.
Plans
“I would like all children to feel safe and confident in their leaders. I want to not only invest in
their education but also ensure that they can access proper health care,” she said.
Mureithi lamented that most women shied
away from leadership positions because they did
not believe in themselves.
“Those who dare contest for political seats are
branded as prostitutes and women of loose morals. We have also been told that we cannot hold
our homes,” she observed.
Mureithi pledges to help improve the markets
by creating stalls in the area especially since many
of them have been run down.
“It is unfortunate that the markets only have
two toilets to serve a population of 900 people. I
plan to create a cleaner environment for the traders who will be my first priority,” she noted.
However, Mureithi maintains that she will still
continue selling fruits and vegetables but will now
concentrate on wholesale trade.
A number of the institutions supported the female candidates as they
tried to explain to the candidates concerns of affirmative action among other
gender based issues.
In the National assembly category, Alice Muthoni Wahome trounced her male
opponents to clinch the Kandara seat while
Lucy Kago lost her bid for the Kigumo
seat to Cabinet Minister Jamleck Kamau.
Muthoni, a lawyer by profession becomes the first female Member of Parliament to be elected in Murang’a County
since independence.
She made her first attempt in 2007
but lost amidst claims of intimidation
and assault. She filed a petition which
was still pending in court by the time of
the elections.
The Kandara MP-elect garnered
52,825 votes while Kago polled 1,249
votes while riding on Narc-Kenya ticket.
To crown it all, Murang’a County
Women Representative Sabina Wanjiru
Chege polled 402,380 votes emerging the
most voted for candidate in the region.
In her campaigns, the former radio
journalist called on the public to support
female candidates as they are concerned
with improving the living standards of the
community.
Issues
Chege who resigned from Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) during
her campaigns emerged as the only assured candidate to face the ballot as she
conducted peaceful and issues oriented
campaigns while men on the other hand
issued threats and intimidations to their
rivals.
The Kenyan Woman reveals that during the campaign for the county women
representative, the candidates conducted
joint campaigns unlike their male counterparts who conducted theirs individually.
“The women are known to embrace
peace and that is why the campaigns attracted a lot of attendance with members of
the public gathering information from the
candidates,” noted Chege.
Murang’a County Commissioner Kula
Hache lauded the peaceful campaigns in
the region saying the same trend should be
encouraged.
“Culture of peace should be encouraged as duty of electing leaders lies in the
hands of the electorate,” noted Hache.
14
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Women finding their
way in German politics
I
W
Election
officials need to
mainstream gender
in their plans
…By Melissa Eddy
…By Henry Kahara
ithin minutes of being sworn
in as governor of the southwest
German state of RhinelandPalatinate, Malu Dreyer turned
to members of the opposition and gestured
to lawmakers seated across the aisle from her
centre-left party, offering not a challenge, but
an invitation.
“I pledge to you open and constructive cooperation,” Dreyer said. “That this applies to all
members of Parliament.”
In this, her inaugural address, she added:
“Let us speak more with, and less about, one
another. The origin of an idea is not important,
but its value and use for our state.”
In Germany, where much is taken earnestly
and politicians can be dour, Dreyer, 52, has
made headlines for her wide smile. Her party,
the Social Democrats, touted her sunny approach in a campaign that sold her as someone
as “beloved as free beer and days off in summer”.
Her character and reputation defy what she
has said is a condition that steeled her for the
rough-and-tumble of politics: Dreyer suffers
from multiple sclerosis, and frequently uses a
wheelchair to get around.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, her political agenda is heavily focused on issues of social justice.
Notably, within weeks of taking office January
16, she pushed an initiative to enact a nationwide minimum wage, something resisted for
years by the German political and business establishments.
t has been said again and again that women are the people who suffer most during
war or competitions where both genders
are involved. This has largely been blamed
on the patriarchal nature of the society.
Kenya’s historical March 4, 2013 General
Election was not different. Women were reported to have suffered greatly during the Election Day.
Monica Kisanya a resident in Kawangware
was among a group of women who were voting
at Kawangware Primary and the memories of
the day will linger in her mind for the rest of
her life.
Kisanya was among the thousands who had
woken up early in the morning to exercise their
democratic right.
“I was among the first people to arrive at my
polling station (Kawangware Primary) that’s
some minutes to 5 am,” explains Kisanya.
But as fate would have it the gate was not
opened. Little did she know that she would be
forced to wait for two hours for the polling station to open.
According to Independent electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the body mandated
to conduct elections, gates at all polling stations
were to be opened at 6am.
“They were late to open the gate by one
hour,” says Kisanya. This saw a crowd of desperate people who wanted to have their voice
heard forming outside the gate of this school.
Things went haywire when the crowd
started pushing as all of them wanted to vote
and then go away to continue with their daily
chores. “Everyone wanted to go in and vote,”
she recalls.
Influence
Dreyer made that move through the
Bundesrat, the upper house of Parliament,
and consists of representatives from the 16
states. It is in those states that German female
politicians, long in the shadow of men, and of
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has headed the
Christian Democratic Union since 2000, are
now making their mark.
Dreyer declined to be interviewed for this
article, citing the need to focus on her work in
the weeks after taking office.
While Merkel has won spurs as one of the
world’s most influential women since taking office in 2005, a new generation of women wields
influence closer to home. One quarter of all the
states are now governed by women.
Unlike the first women to enter the top levels of politics in the late 1980s and early 1990s,
female governors today have spent years building up credentials in less visible positions and
developed their own leadership style in the
meantime.
Dreyer is a prime example. She describes
her style as “inclusive, very team oriented, but
also decisive”. She likes to listen to arguments,
weigh possibilities and then make a decision.
During the 11 years she spent as Labour
Minister in her state, Dreyer — a trained lawyer who served as a state prosecutor in Bad
Kreuznach before entering politics, as the mayor of that same city — became known for tackling problems at the source. She held roundtable meetings to discuss the issue of caring for
the elderly in nursing homes so that workers
could participate. Her own experiences as the
mother of a patchwork family with three children and resident of a publicly sponsored social
living project have contributed to her image of
being straightforward and someone to whom
average people can relate.
Bettina Munimus, a researcher with the
European Academy for Women in Politics and
Economics, based in Berlin, said that Dreyer’s
more consensus-oriented approach is indicative of an overall shift, visible in the other states
where women are now in charge — including
the biggest, North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as
Saarland and Thuringia.
“In the previous generation, the old male
politicians used the ‘basta’ style of politics to
outwardly demonstrate power and the need
Malu Dreyer was recently elected as a governor in German. She is already using her
position to fight for favorable labor laws which will mostly benefit women. Picture: Courtesy
for the final word,” Munimus said. Not so the
female governors.
“They know that power is needed to bring
about policy, but along the way, it is important
to cooperate, to create policy with others. That
is the identifying factor of this style.”
Since 2010, another Social Democrat,
Hannelore Kraft, has governed North RhineWestphalia, Germany’s most populous state
and one known for decades as much for its old
boys’ political network as for its heavy industry.
Kraft was forced to settle right after her
election for a minority government that relied
on the support of political foes to pass legislation. Together with the deputy governor, Sylvia
Löhrmann from the Greens, Kraft dubbed her
government the “invitation coalition” and got
to work.
Two years later, her fragile constellation
collapsed, and Kraft faced off against a former
minister from Merkel’s conservative party in
fresh elections last May. Not only did Kraft retain her governorship; she won a clear majority in the state legislature for government with
the Greens.
Survey
Many Germans would have liked to see
Kraft run as the Social Democratic candidate,
challenging Merkel for the chancellorship, in
the September elections. A recent survey by
Statista pollsters showed the 51-year-old, the
third most popular politician in the country,
after Merkel and Joachim Gauck, the German
president.
Instead, the Social Democrats chose Peer
Steinbrück, whose straight-talking style is
more associated with the cigar-chomping era
of Gerhard Schröder and who raised eyebrows
when he recently told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the chancellor was popular
“because she gets a women’s bonus”.
Heidi Simonis, Germany’s first female governor — she led the state of Schleswig-Holstein
for 12 years — disputed that view. In a recent
interview from her home in Kiel, she cited
courage, capability in a specific field or overall
political experience as qualities displayed by
the women who now hold office in the states.
“Just being a woman is no longer enough
to earn a female bonus in Germany,” said Simonis, also a member of the Social Democrats.
Simonis served as finance minister for her
state before she was elected governor in the
wake of Schleswig-Holstein’s worst political
scandal since World War II. At the time, she
said, her focus was not on her gender, but the
challenges at hand.
“I just said, ‘I have a job to do here, whether they love me or don’t love me,’ although of
course I preferred that they love me,” Simonis
said. “That was enough to last for 12 years, although it has nothing to do with nice eyes or
being a woman. You have to achieve a bit more
for people to give you their vote.”
In addition to now running four of the 16
states and holding nearly a third of all seats in
the national Parliament, women in Germany
still face challenges when it comes to equality
in the workplace and the business world.
Women in Germany earn roughly 22 per
cent less than their male counterparts in comparable positions, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Despite efforts in recent years to help better combine the demands of full-time work
with raising a family, women in Germany still
remain underrepresented in the highest management positions. Only four per cent of seats
on the management boards of the country’s top
companies were held by women last year, according to the German Institute for Economic
Research.
On the flip side, more than half of the 7.4
million lowest-paying jobs in Germany are held
by women, who often earn less than €8.50, or
$11, per hour, the rate that — if it is up to Dreyer
— will become the national minimum wage.
Dreyer has already argued in favour of the
minimum wage as the state Labour Minister.
She reasons that women would be among the
main beneficiaries if the country broke with
its tradition of allowing each industry to set its
own pay agreements and instead enacted a national minimum wage.
Taking advantage of her newness on the
national scene, she made the issue a top priority and got support from other states to push
through the measure on March 1. “Article 3
of the German Constitution ensures the equal
rights of men and women,” Dreyer told the
Bild am Sonntag, a popular Sunday tabloid. “As
long as women in Germany are discriminated
against, I will fight for their rights.”
Courtesy of New York Times
Injuries
Unfortunately the weak gate was unable to
carry their weight and broke down. Some fell
down with the gate and were trampled on by
others.
“I was among those people who were trampled on. Actually some of us sustained some serious injuries and had to go in the hospital for
check-up,” says Kisanya who suffered bruises
on her left rib.
Kisanya who works with Nairobi City
Council (NCC) says she also suffered injuries
on her legs and is complaining of chest problems. “I visited a doctor and they took an X-ray
but they have assured me that I am fine,” she
says.
According to Kisanya, some of the people
who suffered were old women. For now she
proposes that there be two lines representing
the two genders while conducting such activities in order to protect women from male harassment.
Her sentiments are echoed by Jane Kamau,
a voter at Ndararua Polling Station, Riruta
Ward, Dagoretti South Constituency. Kamau
was on the queue for seven hours but for now
she can hardly walk. Her legs have swelled as
she has sprained them.
“Those planning elections need to have
women in mind when planning such exercises
where both genders are being involved,” says
Kamau.
Ndurarua was one of the constituency’s
polling stations with a large number of voters.
Here the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ( IEBC) official gave women
with young children the priority to vote first. A
privilege some misused in the early hours of the
morning as some women would borrow children in order for them to be considered. This
happened for long without the knowledge of
election officials.
When the officials learnt of this misconduct, they started putting a mark on the children after their mothers had voted.
Elderly people were also given consideration although they were not categorized according to age. The sick and those who had
special needs were also given due attention.
15
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Resources a major factor during campaigns
…By Kennedy Kibet
M
ost female candidates
in North Rift suffered
humiliating defeat during the elections with
the majority of former MPs failing to
capture their seats.
The voters were purely driven by
political euphoria and most candidates did not survive the wave in respective party strongholds.
North Rift region is made up of six
counties namely: Nandi, Uasin Gishu,
Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, West
Pokot and Turkana. According to the
records by the Independent Electoral
and Boundary Commission (IEBC),
the region has a total of 958,003 out of
1.9 million estimated voters. Winnie Maru who was vying for
Turbo parliamentary seat lost during
the nominations. She attributes the
dismal performance by women to
their inability to mobilise resources.
Resources
“Although stakes were very high
and nothing was left to chance, most
women aspirants were unable to mobilise sufficient resources to mount
massive campaigns, which in some
cases required giving freebies,” said
Maru.
Outgoing Higher Education Minister Professor Margaret Kamar who
was vying for the Governorship in Uasin Gishu County on an ODM ticket
was among those who lost in the elections.
In Elgeyo Marakwet County, former Kenyan envoy to South Africa
Tabitha Seii who was vying for the
senate seat lost to energetic law scholar Kipchumba Murkomen of United
Republican party (URP). While the
architect of 2010 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Bill Linah Jebii Kilimo failed to secure the Marakwet East
Constituency, a seat where she had
served for the last two parliamentary
terms.
Political wave
In Aldai Constituency of Nandi
County, the outgoing Agriculture
Minister Dr Sally Kosgey of ODM
lost her parliamentary seat as the URP
wave swept the region.
New comers who attempted to
make a debut in politics in the region
also failed to win various positions.
ODM’s Chepkok Moira who was
vying for the Women Representative
position in Uasin Gishu County along
with Caroline Cherono of UDF for
the same position were also both unsuccessful.
“It was a tight race but I thank
all those who voted for me. In every
contest there is always a winner and a
loser,” said Cherono.
However, a number of women
clinched County Representative positions in Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Elgeyo
Marakwet and Turkana counties.
Winners
The women who sailed through
included Eusila Ngenyi of URP in
Uasin Gishu and Dr Susan Chebet
in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Chebet
is a former senior administrator of
Moi University and a crusader for the
rights of the girl-child.
“We will use this position to articulate the issues touching on women,”
noted Chebet. She said it was unfortunate that many women did not make
it through the elective positions in all
the counties.
Many of the women aspirants,
however, carried out extensive campaigns despite the financial challenges
and other obstacles they faced.
Most of the parties have also proposed to nominate many women in a
bid to balance representation in the
region.
Both the winners and losers said
they were happy that the IEBC had
managed to organise credible, free
and fair elections despite the challenges and delays in releasing the final
results.
Hugo Chávez knew that his revolution depended on women
A
nd he was not the only one.
Presidents of Tanzania and
Haiti have both benefited
from making women central to progress
The funeral of President Hugo
Chávez of Venezuela took place on International Women’s Day — a fitting
day of departure for “the president of
the poor” who was loved by millions,
especially by women, the poorest.
When Chávez was elected in 1998,
the grassroots movement took a leap in
power and women in particular were
empowered. Women were the first into
the streets against the 2002 US-backed
coup; their mobilisation saved the
revolution. When asked why, woman
after woman said: “Chávez is us, he is
our son.” He was an extension of who
they were as strugglers for survival.
Passion
Chávez soon learnt that the revolution he led depended on women, and
said so: “Only women have the passion
and the love to make the revolution.”
He acknowledged that the “missions”
— the new social services which were
at the heart of his popularity and which
the state funded but did not run —
were mainly created and run by grassroots neighbourhood women.
In 2006, when announcing the partial implementation of Article 88 of the
new constitution recognising caring
work as productive — a breakthrough
worldwide — Chávez said: “Women
work so hard raising their children,
ironing, washing, preparing food …
giving [their children] an orientation
… This was never recognised as work
yet it is such hard work! ... Now the
revolution puts you first, you too are
workers, you housewives, workers in
the home.”
Chávez was not the first movement leader who went on to head
the government, to have understood
women’s centrality to creating the new
society they were striving to build.
Half a century ago, Julius Nyerere,
leader of Tanzania’s independence
struggle and its first president, aimed
his programme for development at the
elimination of two ills: women’s inequality and poverty. He said: “Women who live in villages work harder
than anyone in Tanzania, working in
the fields and in the homes”.
He added: “The truth is that in the
villages the women work very hard.
At times they work for 12 or 14 hours
a day. They even work on Sundays and
public holidays. Whereas the village
men are on leave half their lives.
Nyerere’s ujamaa or “African socialism” — self-reliance and co-opera-
The late Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez embraced by his supporters. He believed in women empowerment
and they helped him to achieve most of his revolutions. Below: the late Julius Nyerere, first president of Tanzania
worked hard towards elimination of women inequality and poverty. Pictures: Courtesy
tion — was to keep Tanzania independent, by enabling it to refuse foreign
loans. He insisted men must do their
share. Equity was a question not only
of justice but of economic necessity
and political independence.
Equality
Encouraged by Nyerere, in one
region, 17 ujamaa villages created a
communal society based on equity
among women and men, children
and adults — all contributed what
they could and shared equally in the
wealth produced. Their extraordinary
society was destroyed by Nyerere’s
power-hungry colleagues against his
will, but it showed us what is possible.
Closer to Venezuela, women
gained recognition under Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s first democratically elected president (1990 and
2000). Determined to tackle extreme
poverty and injustice, Aristide created a Ministry of Women’s Affairs,
appointed women to ministerial posts,
supported girl domestic workers and
survivors of military rape. As in Venezuela, women were the main organisers and beneficiaries of literacy and
health programmes; the rise in the
minimum wage benefited them especially the sweatshop workers who are
mainly women.
Young people’s love for Aristide
is legendary, but women’s devotion
has been as constant. Two months after the devastating 2010 earthquake,
women collected 20,000 signatures in
three days demanding President Aristide’s return from exile — they needed
him for reconstruction. A year later
he was back, not as president but
as educator, reopening the medical
school he had founded for poor students, which the coup had closed.
Recognition
In Bolivia, indigenous women
were recognised as central to the mass
mobilisations which propelled Evo
Morales into the presidency. These included the “water wars” which drove
the multinational Bechtel out of Bo-
livia (they privatised the water and
criminalised people who collected rain
water). In 2008 the women were prominent in surrounding Congress for several days while the new constitution
was debated; the white parliamentary
elite intended to absent themselves to
prevent a vote. The blockade forced
them to sleep in the building till the
vote was taken. That constitution heralded a new level of power for women
— from pay equity to recognition for
the economic value of caring work.
As the president of the poor is laid
to rest, the historic Operation Condor
trial opens in Argentina, tackling the
co-ordinated campaign of state terror
of former Latin American dictatorships. We must recall a little-known
aspect of Chávez’s legacy. Venezuela’s oil revenue supported Argentina’s Presidents Nestor and Cristina
Kirchner, enabling them to pass laws
removing the military’s immunity
“Women who live in villages work harder than
anyone in Tanzania, working in the fields and in
the homes.”
— Julius Nyerere
from prosecution. The Mothers and
Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo,
who led the 1983 overthrow of the
dictatorship, and who had long campaigned for justice for the thousands
the dictatorships raped, murdered
and disappeared, have long paid tribute to Chávez — a most unusual military man.
They, like women all over South
America and beyond, will be watching anxiously to see that the gains of
the Bolivarian revolution are not undermined.
Courtesy of the Guardian Online
16
Special Post-Election Issue
Issue Number 36 • April 2013
Bills to empower women to land ownership
…By Maurice Alal
L
and is a resource of controversy that has caused animosity and bloodshed in many
countries including Kenya.
Culture has played a major role
in determining who owns land,
where and how it is divided. Unfortunately women have over time
watched from the sidelines as matters on the precious natural resource
take centre stage even when it has
had huge effects on their lives.
Milcah Apiyo Muganda hails
from the shores of Lake Victoria and
has been married for 13 years with
four children; a testimony of her
union.
During her over 10-year marriage, Muganda was engaged in a productive mitumba business with her
husband. After marshalling enough
savings, they jointly purchased approximately 0.052 hectares of land in
Kisumu County.
Recently, Muganda narrated,
their union took a different path
when her husband found another
woman and would often spend days
at her house before returning home.
Action
Muganda was shocked when she
got wind that her husband was in
the process of buying a piece of land
for his new found lover after selling
the one they had bought together.
Having run short of cash, he decided to dispose off what he owned
with Muganda to buy land with his
new woman.
Fortunately, Muganda moved
swiftly and obtained restraining orders that barred any transactions on
the land from being carried out without her knowledge.
Muganda’s story is just one ac-
count out of so many typical scenarios
that women face.
“Women are eager to own land
but many of them fear that their
husbands will get other wives and
they will be forced to forfeit their
right to ownership or share the land
with wife number two, while they
are the ones who sweat their brows
to buy the land,” says George Ogutu,
District Land Adjudication and Settlement Officer, Kisumu East.
Traditionally, men in Africa own
land and have their names printed on
the title deeds. Rarely is it said that a
piece of land is owned by the mama
so and so but often you will hear the
phrase ‘shamba ya mzee so and so’ or
that land belongs to son of X.
Policy
Other than land which is bought
there is the family land which passed
from father to son as per traditions.
A man who inherits land from his
father, subdivides it so that the sons
also get a share when they are adults
and married. This valued practice
has, however, resulted in the suffering of women who have been rendered homeless after the deaths of
their husbands and sons. Daughters
are also left out of this equation.
Ogutu said that approximately 90
per cent of land in Kisumu County
is owned by men. He affirms this by
pulling out a random file with over
200 parcels of registered land and
reveals from the first ten pages, only
one woman’s name featured as a registered owner. If this were a sufficient
sample, it would be evidence enough.
The National Gender Development Policy Draft 2011 estimates
that 80 per cent of Kenya’s population lives in the rural areas and that
women own only five per cent of agricultural land in rural areas.
“Women have been
squatters in their own
homes contrary to
constitution and the
anticipated bill will
empower women to
land ownership.”
— Dr Elizabeth Akinyi Nzioki
The document also shows that
women provide 75 per cent of agricultural labour and are the major
practitioners of small scale farming
while commercial farming is mostly
undertaken by men, which translates into women having less access
to modern farming technology and
income than men.
However, Ogutu explains that in
Kisumu County, this is typical as one
will find more men than women in
sugarcane and rice farming which is
a big income earner in the region’s
agricultural sector.
According to the Draft Policy, the
Ministry of Land through the Department of Land Adjudication and
Settlement has introduced a manda-
tory administrative requirement that
30 per cent of members of District
Settlement Plot Allocation Committees be women.
However, the Kisumu East District
comprises of nine gazetted members,
of which two are women. The District
Commissioner, Willy Cheboi, states
though this is currently the case, the
next board will have to adhere to the
Constitution requirement of meeting
the two thirds principle.
This move is expected to give
women a voice in decision making especially on matters of land ownership
and use.
According to Jane Obiero, Nyanza
Provincial Director of Gender and
Social Development, some women
are not eager to own land solely or in
joint ventures.
Obiero says it is unfortunate that
some women have the opportunity
to own land but opt to give their
share to their brothers claiming they
will get land where they will be married not bearing in mind the sons of
their in-laws.
Socialisation
“This is how women have been
socialised in our societies, to put
their fathers and brothers first. A lot
of effort has to be put on sensitisation for women to be aware of their
rights,” says Obiero.
She reiterates that all organisations
should have gender units to address
issues of gender disparities including
the Ministry of Lands.
With the adoption and effective
implementation of the National Land
Policy Draft, issues revolving around
women and land ownership will have
moved a step towards becoming history.
The National Land Policy Draft
will also provide the mechanisms to
ensure land rights of women living
with HIV including rural women are
not abused.
However, according to Dr Elizabeth Akinyi Nzioki, chairperson of
the Task Force on Formulation of
Community, Eviction and Resettlement Bills, evictions have for decades
taken place in the country, especially
in informal settlements in contravention of international human rights
standards.
Constitution
This will be facilitated by the two
bills that will be tabled in Parliament
to speed up the eviction and resettlement of the victims in May 2013. The
move is to enable community to own
land without others being marginalized as has been the case since independence.
The Constitution of Kenya 2010
and Sessional Paper No.3 of 2009
on the National Land Policy provide
for a new classification of land to a
“community land” in regards to ethnicity, culture or similar community
of interest.
Nzioki says the task force will
draft a bill in consultation with members of the public in the 47 counties
and Ministry of Lands to ensure international standards are adhered
to in evicting and resettling of the
people affected.
Speaking during the Task Force
forum in Kisumu city, attended by
the residents of Homa Bay, Migori,
Kisumu, Nyamira and Kisii counties, Nzioki notes that the bill will
address land injustices which have
been a menace for decades.
“Women have been squatters in
their own homes contrary to constitution and the anticipated bill will
empower women to land ownership,”
Nzioki says.
Food security an avenue to end gender based violence
…By Kenyan Woman
Correspondent
I
n spite of the major role
played by women in producing food and feeding their
families, little attention has
been paid to the connection between gender, violence and food
security. Gender discrimination fuels female malnutrition and disempowerment. Very often, discriminatory
practices in rural communities
generate biases in intra-household
food distribution, whereby women
and girls usually have access to
limited and less nutritious food. Poor families may marry off
under-age daughters during times
of famine so there is one less
mouth to feed. Refugee women
may be forced to trade sex for
food. Women spend hours collecting firewood to cook the family meal, leaving themselves vul-
nerable to rape and other attacks.
Widows are persecuted over
land ownership but, all too often,
national laws favour men over
women.
On International Women's
Day this year, the global community focused on how to eliminate
and prevent all forms of violence
against women and girls.
Remedy
Domestic violence has an
overall negative impact on agricultural production and family well-being. For many women
struggling to feed themselves and
their children today, food security
would mean personal and legal
security. If the world unites to increase
food security for women, we also
nourish the minds and bodies of
whole communities. If a girl can
attend school in a safe environment, she can reach her full men-
tal and physical potential. She can
avoid early marriage, forced marriage or other forms of violence. If
a woman can register the birth of
her children, legally own land and
the money she earns, she can contribute to the benefit of her society
and its economic development. Women make up more than
40 per cent of the agricultural
labour force in developing countries. Improving equality in women’s access to agricultural inputs
(such as seeds, tools, fertilisers),
education and public services
would contribute significantly to
achieving food security and better nutrition for all. Empowering
women and girls legally and economically creates opportunities
for development, enhances their
political voice and reduces their
vulnerability to violence. Food security links the diverse elements
needed to build a peaceful and
fair future for them.
A farmer attending to her crops. Food insecurity has been contributing to the
increasing number of Gender Based Violence. Picture:Kenyan Woman Correspondent
Executive Director: Arthur Okwemba
Managing Editor: Jane Godia
The Kenyan Woman is a publication of African
Woman and Child Feature Service
E-mail: [email protected]
www.awcfs.org
Sub-Editors: Duncan Mboya, Faith Muiruri and Carolyne Oyugi
Contributors: Yusuf Amin, Valentine Otieno, David Herbling, Diana Wanyonyi, Larry
Kimori, Ben Oroko, Renson Mnyamwezi, Robert Nyagah, Hussein
Dido, Fred Okoth, Joseph Mukubwa, Ruth Omukhango, Munene
Maina, Albert Mutua, Teryani Mwadzaya, Paul Mwaniki, Steve
Mucheru, Oloo Janak, Robert Wanjala, Melissa Eddy, Henry Kahara,
Kennedy Kibet, Allan Murimi, Nicole Waithira, Ryan Mathenge, Joyce
Chimbi and Maurice Alal
Design & layout: Noel Lumbama (Noel Creative Media Ltd)
Supported by: