How Kandara MP broke the political bias

Even as Kenya joins the global community in celebrating the country’s milestones as it strives to take action to achieve gender equality and equity, it is clear that on the political front, women have to fight it to find and create their own space in the bigoted male-dominated field.

While politics is described as a dirty game the world over, Kenya’s field is jumbled and muddled by bias, discrimination, stereotypes, patriarchy and cultural norms – real and imagined – that hinder women from seeking elective political posts.

And as if these barriers created by a patriarchal society are not bad enough, gender-based violence and unfair practices within political parties discourages women from participating in elections as contestants. Consequently, the number of women in Parliament has remained largely low, even as the country makes some progress on the same.

Awareness

Increased awareness of bias, which has been sustained by women’s rights organisations, civil society and the media, as well as voter education, has thawed this bias against women and/in politics.

The road to electoral politics for women is, however, still laden with barriers and other factors that emanate from a patriarchal society, emboldened by traditional and cultural perceptions and stereotypes, to keep the female gender out of politics.

This unfortunate situation paves the way for men to continue dominating the political space, yet women not only form the biggest bulk of voters as research indicates, but are also the majority in terms of population.

Nevertheless, there is a ray of hope as more women defy the barriers to offer themselves not just for political office, but also re-election to the National Assembly, the Senate and even the county assembly.

Rights campaigner

Alice Wahome, is one such outstanding Member of Parliament (MP). Now in her second term as Kandara MP, the lawyer and rights campaigner understands what the fight against societal barriers in seeking elective office is all about. The outspoken Jubilee-turned-UDA lawmaker says winning the war to break the bias and discrimination against women pursuing elective political leadership, is not for the faint-hearted.

“You cannot afford to give up,” Ms Wahome says. “You have to be strong and not to expect a smooth ride in whatever mission you set yourself up for,” she says, in reference to the bumpy political road she has travelled since 2002 when she first contested the Kandara seat.

She made a second unsuccessful attempt in 2007, before winning in 2013 and retaining the seat in 2017. In the forthcoming general election, the Kandara MP, also touted as a possible UDA presidential running-mate, is slated to defend her seat and aim for a third straight term.

Ms Wahome’s rough journey to Parliament is typical of the horrible experience women undergo as they seek elective office. Ahead of the 2013 win, she had to contend with ugly propaganda, violence and abuse. Way before the ‘proper’ election campaigns began, her male rivals mounted a propagandist well-orchestrated campaign, directed at her by virtue of her gender.

Part of the propaganda argued that she is married in a different county, Nyeri, thus lacked the ground to seek a political seat in Kandara, her constituency of birth. Thankfully, the former vice chairperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers and council member of the Law Society of Kenya, had done a lot of work, including creating awareness of gender and advocacy matters, the law and rights in the area. Her election bid was successful.

The harassment did not start with the manipulative propaganda. Just after she had won the party’s nomination, well packaged condoms branded in her name, purporting to be a “gift” for her constituents, surfaced.

Overcame hurdles

She overcame the abuse and the well-strategised slander to decisively win the 2013 election and the subsequent one. “You must learn to ignore the propaganda and keep your eyes on the prize,” the MP, a former chairperson of the League of Kenya Women Voters, advises women seeking elective political office. “You must develop thick skin.”

With her win, she made history as the first woman in Murang’a County, to be elected MP in a single member constituency.

Her win and consequent impressive performance in Parliament appeared to have inspired her county, leading to the election of two more women five years later. They are Ruth Mwaniki - Kigumo constituency and Mary Waithira Wamaua - Maragua.

“The election of Ruth and Waithira is for me, a kind of mentorship I have done for women in the county,” the Kandara MP says in Women Changing the Way the World Works, a publication of the Democracy Trust Fund, which features select Kenyan women leaders from various sectors.

“During the campaigns, the people referred heavily to my performance in Kandara in my first term and voted for more women,” she adds.

The pathetic attempt to discriminate against her and persuade the electorate to deny her votes, citing ‘traditions’ and ‘customs’, sadly, has seen women shy away from seeking political office.

Luckily, there are other female politicians who have defied similar norms and prejudice and broken the bias. They include the late Bomet governor Dr Joyce Laboso, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari, now seeking a second term.

While progress is slow in getting the numbers to ensure gender parity in the Legislature, indications are that women and other gender equity advocates will have to keep challenging and confronting the so-called cultural norms as they seek to break the bias and discrimination.

Ms Rugene, is a former parliamentary editor at the Nation and founder of the Woman’s Newsroom Foundation; Email [email protected]