Nairobi leads in ward reps gender top-up list

Perpetua Mponjiwa, one of the 35 women nominated to the Nairobi County Assembly by ODM at Chungwa House Nairobi, on March 2, 2022. 

Photo credit: Photo | Pool

What you need to know:

  • In 2017, Nairobi also led with the most female nominated members at 34.
  • Constitution stipulates that the nomination slots will be as many as are required to ensure no gender has more than two-thirds representation in the assemblies.

Nairobi and Kakamega counties bagged the lion’s share of nominated female MCAs in the gender top-up list to ensure they meet the constitutional gender principle.

The two counties had 35 and 26 slots, respectively, out of the 538 that had to be nominated after Kenyans elected only 100 women MCAs in the August 9 poll.

In 2017, Nairobi also led with the most female nominated members at 34.

The Constitution stipulates that the nomination slots will be as many as are required to ensure no gender has more than two-thirds representation in the assemblies.

Kisii, Kiambu and Meru close the top five list with 22 slots for the first two, and Meru 20 in the gender top-up list released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

For the marginalised, youth, ethnic minority and people with disabilities list, all the 47 counties got four slots each.

Ward reps

In the 2022 General Election, Nakuru County had the highest number of elected female MCAs at eight, followed by Bungoma, Kiambu, Kisumu and Homa Bay with six each.

Murang’a has five female ward reps and Kilifi, Trans Nzoia, Siaya, Nyeri and Nairobi four each.

Nandi, Baringo, Mombasa, Vihiga Migori and Tana River have three each, while Embu, Machakos, Uasin Gishu, Bomet and Laikipia counties elected two each.

Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Makueni, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Kakamega, Turkana, Kericho, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Busia and Kisii have a single elected female MCA each.