2022 election: The man who voted on behalf of his wife

In this photo, a man marks ballot papers for his wife at Embakasi Girls Secondary School polling station in the outskirts of Nairobi.

The man had earlier told our reporter, Ms Moraa Obiria, who specialises in gender issues, that he would not allow his wife to vote on her own as she had little education, so he would decide for her for whom to vote.

The photo attracted various comments online, with some saying it illustrated the disenfranchisement of women in the political process, and yet others, perhaps in jest, saying it showed the man was firmly in charge of all affairs at home.

The IEBC noted in a statement later in the day that in situations where voters needed help to cast their ballots, they would be allowed to be guided by a person of their choice.

We asked the Nation Gender Editor, Ms Dorcas Odumbe, for her views on the image. Specifically, we asked her to explain whether, from a gender-in-politics perspective, the man had taken it too far, and whether this showed more needs to be done to allow women to make their democratic choices.

Ms Odumbe was livid, saying: “When you hear a man proudly proclaim that “Kwangu kila mtu ni Mr X (political candidate)” he means exactly what this husband has done. It is despicable misogyny at its best in the 21st Century. This woman is neither blind nor deaf; the candidates’ faces are on the ballot paper; she simply needed to tick her choice.”

Ms Odumbe noted that the Constitution gives the woman the right, without unreasonable restrictions, “to vote by secret ballot in any election”, and that “suffrage is not limited to a group of people”.

“Unfortunately, she has been left without representation in the halls of legislation. Her husband has oppressed her on all sides. Instead of promoting gender equality, he takes us back to the pre-colonial era, when women couldn’t own land, have bank accounts, or work outside the traditional roles prescribed by society. The laws say we are all equal.”

While the husband, whom we are not naming for legal and ethical reasons, had indicated that his wife could not make the right decision on whom to vote for, Ms Odumbe disagreed, asking: “If she can manage an entire household, how about a ballot paper? She has a mind of her own and so must have a hand in the country’s housekeeping through her vote.

"More than anyone else, she is held responsible for the welfare of her family. Gender plays a crucial role in defining who we vote for in any election, and women will definitely prove decisive in this election’s outcome. An electoral offence has been committed. The man voted twice for candidates of his choice. Unacceptable!”

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