From left: Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, Njoro MP Charity Kathambi, Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja
|Nakuru women bucking trend in elective politics
What you need to know:
- Leading the pack are Senator Susan Kihika, who wants to unseat Governor Lee Kinyanjui.
- Nakuru could be on course towards attaining gender equality in leadership, says lobbyist.
Should Nakuru voters continue with their trend of electing women, the county could have at least seven female leaders occupying the top seats, including the governor and the Woman Representative.
Leading the pack are Senator Susan Kihika, who wants to unseat Governor Lee Kinyanjui, and Keroche Breweries founder CEO Tabitha Karanja, who is gunning for the Senate.
Mr Kinyanjui has aligned himself with presidential hopeful Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja Movement, while Ms Kihika is a key cog in Deputy President William Ruto’s State House bid through his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
Ms Kihika, whose father is veteran politician Dickson Kihika Kimani, has been described as a “refined reincarnation of her father, and an emerging Iron Lady of Nakuru politics”.
Pundits says that although certain considerations such as popularity, track record and ethnicity will play a part in determining who becomes the next governor, major determinants will be the Odinga and Ruto factor.
“The politics surrounding President Uhuru Kenyatta’s succession will play a major role in the gubernatorial contest,” said Jesse Karanja , chairman of the People’s Power Watch,a civil society group.
“Mr Kinyanjui’s association with Mr Odinga may work against him because Nakuru, though fairly cosmopolitan, is in the Rift Valley region, which is the DP’s political bastion,” lawyer Steve Kabita said.
In the senatorial race, Ms Karanja seeks to fly the UDA flag after joining the Ruto camp last month. The entrepreneur-turned-politician will square it out with former Industrialisation Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Karanja, former Subukia MP Koigi Wamwere, a former Nakuru Level Five Hospital boss, Dr Joseph Mburu, Mr Mike Weche, Mr Davis Ruto, Mr Daniel Kimani, Mr Mwai Gachunga, Mr Andrew Yatich and Mr Crispus Wathimba.
For Ms Karanja,56, this will be her political debut.
“I want to influence policies from the front row. I’ve been toying with the idea for years, but I’m now ready to go for it,” she told Nation in an earlier interview.
Women are also making a good showing in the parliamentary contests in Nakuru County, which has five women out of the 13 elected MPs.
In the Bahati parliamentary race, the MP, Mr Kimani Ngunjiri is facing stiff competition from Ms Irene Njoki.
The political debutante, who used to work in the Transport ministry,has been criss-crossing the constituency selling her bid. She will fight it out with Mr Ngunjiri and Mr John Mbugua, aka Honest, for the UDA ticket.
Also in the race is Mr Quindos Karanja. “I want to bring change to Bahati. Top of my agenda is education, youth and women empowerment, water access, roads and security,” she said.
In Njoro Constituency, MP Charity Kathambi will square it out with popular radio journalist Njogu Wa Njoroge, former MP Joseph Kiuna and Mr Johnson Kinyanjui for the seat.
Mr Kinyanjui also vied in 2017 but lost to Ms Kathambi. Both Ms Kathambi and Mr Njoroge are eyeing a UDA ticket. The first-term MP is the only woman in the race.
In Gilgil Constituency, MP Martha Wangari will be facing more than four candidates, all men, including former MP Ndiritu Mathenge, who will be vying on The Service Party ticket.
The former nominated senator floored the then MP Ndiritu Mathenge, alongside several other male candidates, to clinch the seat in the 2017 elections on a Jubilee Party ticket.
She was nominated to the Senate by the United Democratic Forum party in 2013 and was vocal on women and youth affairs during her tenure.
In Naivasha, MP Jayne Kihara will also be battling to retain her seat against former MP John Kihagi, among other candidates.
Ms Kihara, the longest-serving woman MP in the region, joined politics in 2003. She took over the seat formerly occupied by her husband Paul Kihara upon his death. She was elbowed out in 2007, but returned in 2017 after 10 years in the political cold.
Should the trend continue, according to Mr Karanja, Nakuru will be on course towards attaining gender equality in leadership.
“In the 2017 General Election, Nakuru produced five elected women leaders. This time round, even more women could be elected,” Mr Karanja said.
