The women who outsmarted Kenya Kwanza, Azimio in 2022 poll

Of the 3,798 candidates who vied for Member of County Assembly (MCA) on independent ticket in last year’s election, only 109 (three per cent) won.

Among those who defied political parties’ waves in their regions to clinch seats were nine women.

They are Sarah Rubety Keino (Kosirai, Nandi), Susan Akoth Onyango (Gwassi South, Homa Bay) Grace Bahati (Kyeleni, Machakos), Beatrice Phemmy Kanoti (Bwiri, Busia) and Lysbeth Gatiria Mbae (Ganga, Tharaka Nithi).

Others are Margaret Muthoni Kuruga (Kiganjo/Mathari, Nyeri), Anne Chepkemoi (Silibwet Township, Bomet), Judith Wanza Musyoka (Nuu, Kitui), and Esther Auma Migose (Awendo, Migori).

Running as an independent candidate is not a mean feat.  Many women politicians avoid the option because they find it very expensive and difficult to run campaigns outside established political parties.

We spoke to five of the female MCAs who won as independent candidates in last year’s General Election on how they outwitted big political parties that have massive following in their regions, to clinch the seats.

Beatrice Phemmy Kanoti (Busia County)

Ms Kanoti who is the chairperson of Agriculture committee in Busia County Assembly, attributes her easy win to stellar performance in her first term.

She was first elected on a Ford Kenya ticket in 2017, but defected to Raila Odinga-led ODM after the ‘Lion’ party joined Kenya Kwanza Coalition few months to the August 9 poll.

“Busia was Azimio la Umoja stronghold. The popularity of Ford Kenya in the county started waning immediately its party leader Moses Wetang’ula declared support for President William Ruto who was vying on United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. I was left with no option but to jump ship to remain afloat politically,” says Ms Kanoti.

But her stay in ODM was short-lived as she hurriedly resigned when she failed to bag the ticket.

“I vied on independent ticket and won with a big margin. I attribute my victory to the development projects I initiated during my first term targeting women and the youth,” she says.

“In my first term, I brought water near the people and gave grants to youth groups to buy goats, motorcycles and pigs.”

When she was vying for the second term, she received massive support from women and the youth.

Ms Kanoti who is also a member of House Business, and Sports and Culture committees in the Assembly, says the other secret to gain people’s trust is staying close to them.

She has set aside the last Friday of each month to listen to people’s challenges at her ward office.

“On weekends, I ensure that am always at home where people visit and share issues they want me to present to the floor of the Assembly,” she says.

Being an independent MCA, however, has its challenges. Some leadership positions are a preserve of MCAs elected through political parties.

“Being independent MCA means you neither fall on majority or minority sides. So, you can’t be a majority or minority leader, chairperson of powerful committees like Budget and Finance committees,” she explains.

She, however, says her cordial relationship with both sides saw her elected chairperson of the Agriculture Committee.

Sarah Rubety Keino (Nandi County)

Ms Keino who spent 20 years fighting for the welfare of teachers as Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) official – Nandi Central Branch, was literally ‘forced’ by women and boda boda operators in Kosirai Ward to run for MCA seat in the last election.

“I got involved in an accident in August 2021 and was using crutches to move around. The idea of joining elective politics had not crossed my mind at all,” says the former head teacher of AIC Segut Primary School in Kosirai Ward, Nandi County.

“In January 2022, groups of women and boda boda operators started trooping to my home demanding that I vie for an MCA seat though I was still on crutches. They promised to help me to campaign.  I finally gave in to their demands after some reflection.”

Ms Keino joined UDA party but resigned a few months later after being ‘short-changed’ in the nominations.

She vied on an independent ticket and floored Joshua Kipkosgei Ngetich of UDA party, the most popular party in the Rift Valley region.

Ms Keino who is Nandi County Assembly representative to the County Assembly Forum (CAF) – an outfit that champions the interests of MCAs in all 47 counties – says the projects she initiated for women and needy children when she was a head teacher and later Knut official, could have convinced locals that she was the right leader.

“When I was a head teacher, I ensured bright children got sponsors to fund their studies in secondary schools and universities. Many children from poor families benefited. This programme is still running; just a fortnight ago we issued bursaries to over 100 learners,” she says.

Another initiative that endeared her to women in Kosirai is the Filagate Women Sacco, which she helped found in 2009 and an environment conservation project.

“In collaboration with the International Crane Foundation, women are helping in the conservation of wetlands that are a natural habitat to the endangered birds, including cranes,” she says.

Grace Bahati (Machakos County)

Ms Bahati had not thought of vying for a political seat until few months to the August 9 General Election.

“I was at my rural home in December 2021, when I heard family members and friends, who had gathered for the festive season, discussing politics. They were complaining of bad leadership in the area.

“It was then that I jokingly offered myself to vie for the MCA seat to provide good leadership. Surprisingly, my joke was taken seriously and my friends started pushing me to go for it,” she says.

At first, Ms Bahati’s family was hesitant to allow her venture into politics due to its ‘dirty nature’ but later supported her fully.

A month later, in January 2022, she launched her campaign but only invited neighbours and few friends for the event. The St Paul’s University alumna was shocked to see thousands of locals showing up. This, she says, fired her up.

Her supporters immediately embarked on collection of 500 signatures of registered voters supporting her candidacy as required by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“We collected over a 1,000 signatures plus coloured photocopies of their national identity cards.” This, she says, was a clear indication that they were headed for a win.

“My supporters wanted me to run as an independent candidate because they feared I would be short-changed by political party honchos,” she says.

She started a serious campaign by meeting women and youth groups, and visiting churches. Few days later, she was a household name in the entire Kyeleni Ward.

Her growing popularity caught the attention of her opponents who launched scathing propaganda against her, to slow her down.

“They started telling locals that the MCA seat was not fit for a young and single woman. They also claimed I was a ‘foreigner’ in Kyeleni Ward because I had been living in Nairobi since I cleared my primary education,” she says.

Apart from the propaganda, some deep pocketed opponents offered to ‘pay’ her to withdraw her candidature – an offer she vehemently declined.

Ms Bahati’s former schoolmates at Kituluni Primary School in Matungulu Constituency, Machakos County, came to her rescue from a ‘foreigner’ tag.

“They started moving around telling people that I was born in the area despite residing in Nairobi where I went for my secondary school and university education,” she says.

“My grandparents’ popularity in the area also saved me from the propaganda. I would introduce myself as the granddaughter of so and so whenever I met people.”

She floored six people – including the candidate of the Wiper Democratic Movement, the most popular party in the region.

She now serves as the chairperson of Education and Social Welfare Committee in Machakos County Assembly. She is also a member of other three committees; Finance and Revenue Collection, Justice and Legal Affairs, and Implementation.

“When I joined Machakos County Assembly, some of my colleagues thought being a young woman, I was just a flower girl. But with time, they realised that am actually a firm and focused leader,” she says.

Ms Bahati advises young people who want to venture into politics to stay firm and not to be swayed by propaganda or bribes.

“Young people should not agree to be bought in order to step down. Accepting bribery will make you lose the trust of the people and this could haunt you for years,” she says.

She also advises young persons who unsuccessfully vied for seats in the last election not to lose hope but try again in 2027.

Susan Akoth Onyango(Homa Bay County)

Ms Onyango was almost giving up when she lost the ODM nominations to Nicholas Odawo.

“Immediately after the nominations, my supporters started pushing me to vie on independent ticket, but I was reluctant despite the assurances that they were going to elect me,” she says.

She never thought an independent candidate would defeat ODM’s candidate in Homa Bay County where the party enjoys an almost fanatical following.

The former Nominated MCA says she finally gave in to the demands of her supporters and ran on an independent ticket.

As she was moving around the ward campaigning, she could hear locals complaining about the ODM nominations and vowed to ‘teach’ the party a lesson. These murmurs encouraged her to campaign hard and win the heart of the disgruntled voters.

“ODM nominations were done at only three out of 37 polling stations in Gwassi South. The three polling stations were situated at the incumbent’s home turf. This 'open rigging' left residents angry,” she says. 

Being the only female candidate against 10 male opponents, she became a target of gendered pejoratives.

“Though I’m married in the area, my opponents still spread propaganda that if elected I would leave and get married in another county. But the electorates could not buy such trash. The lies made me more popular and stronger,” says Ms Onyango, a human resource practitioner by profession.

On August 9, she was declared a winner after beating her closest challenger by more than 1,000 votes.

“I’m the only woman who won on independent ticket in the entire Homa Bay County. In fact, my name should enter the Guinness World Records,” says Rongo University alumna amidst laughter.

She currently sits in four committees in the Homa Bay County Assembly; Finance and Planning, Sports, Cultural and Tourism, Disaster Management, and Justice and Legal.

“Politics is now behind us and it is time to work for the people. I have ensured each location has at least a project ongoing,” she says.

“We have already disbursed bursary to 400 students. I have used my networks to ensure each location gets streetlights, with some areas also benefiting from last mile electricity connection."

Lysbeth Gatiria Mbae (Tharaka Nithi County)

After 16 years of lustrous career as a teacher at several schools in Mount Kenya region, Lysbeth Gatiria Mbae switched from classroom to business.

In 2007, she joined elective politics and was elected a councillor on President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) ticket.

When devolution set in after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, she was the first person to be elected as Ganga Ward Representative to Tharaka Nithi County Assembly in 2013.

The seat slipped from her in 2017 when she vied on Martha Karua-led Narc Kenya party and lost.

“But the loss energised me even more. I used the five years that I was out of the county assembly to meet and listen to the people. This increased my support base,” says the former student of Mosoriot Teachers’ Training College.

“Few months to the August 9, 2022 election, it is the electorate who advised me to ditch United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party before the nominations, and vie as an independent candidate, but on condition that I support and campaign for Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate Dr William Ruto of which I did.”

Her supporters, she explains, feared that UDA would have handed the ticket to one of her opponents.

“The residents of Ganga Ward wanted me to come back owing to my outstanding performance during my first term as MCA,” she says.

Some of the projects she initiated between 2013 and 2017 include Kirumi ICT Centre which hosted a computer college where school leavers were taught computer packages for free, and health centres at Mukui and Ngeru areas.

“I’m sure the people voted for me overwhelmingly due to my performance,” says Ms Mbae, who is the chairperson of the powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Tharaka Nithi County Assembly.

She is also a member of Education, Power and Privileges committees and the Speake Speaker's Panel.

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