Oneya: Is there a man like Joe Biden among our politicians?

As we bathe in the glow of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ historic win and binge on the hope and inspiration it elicits in little girls and women the world over, we must keep our feet on the ground, our hands firmly turning the wheels of gender justice.

A Kenyan newspaper, in reporting about a congratulatory tweet by Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris to Ms Harris, sadly reduced the debate to how much the two looked alike. Trivial as it may seem, female politicians’ physical appearance has often been used as a weapon against them. They’re either dressed trashy or classy; cheaply or too expensively, too formally or informally.

And while the Kenyan parliament adheres to a dress code, the subject of dressing often forms a negative part of the rhetoric when female politicians are being discussed. A CNN anchor remarked, with relief, that the comments about Ms Harris were not about her dressing, as compared to Mrs Hillary Clinton’s time.

For those who constantly worry about gender justice in Kenyan politics, this is the nagging question: Dare we hope for a Kamala Harris story here?

We seem to have made some headway starting 2017, when Anne Waiguru, Charity Ngilu and the late Joyce Laboso made history by becoming the first women to be elected as governors in Kenya. The only woman in the presidential race was Miriam Muthikwa Mutua, who was Michael Wainaina Mwaura’s running mate. Before this, Martha Karua was the only female presidential candidate on the ballot in 2013. Charity Kaluki Ngilu also unsuccessfully vied for the presidency in 1997.

So, should we keep the hope alive?

Both male and female politicians have been quick to congratulate and associate themselves with Ms Harris’ win, forgetting that, in the midst of this clout-chasing, they stood by and watched as the two-thirds gender rule failed many times.

Female politicians continue to face violence online and offline. One of the latest cases of politically instigated violence was in June 2019, when Wajir East MP Rashid Kassim was accused of punching Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi, leaving her face bloodied. Reason? According to reports, he accused Ms Gedi, who sits in the Budget Committee, of failing to allocate money to his constituency.

If there is anything that Ms Harris’ win has also proven, it’s that women need men to rise in leadership. She acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s audacity to select a woman as his running mate. Dare we hope that a man like Biden exists among Kenyan male politicians? If anybody can come up with a name, then they deserve a Shujaa medal.

The US milestone is great for women the world over, but we must use it as an opportunity to openly discuss what needs to happen for us to replicate a Ms Harris’ story here someday. Hopefully, within our lifetime.

[email protected]; @FaithOneya