Women don’t want to be treated with kid gloves; they want fair political contests

By  Moraa Obiria

Senior Gender Journalist

What you need to know:

• Political parties have pledged to dismantle barriers that continue to lock women and other special interest groups out of meaningful political participation, promising a more inclusive path to leadership and representation.

Seventy-four of the 102 political parties registered by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, including Kenya’s biggest political formations (ODM, UDA, Jubilee and Wiper) have signed a declaration ahead of the August 10, 2027 General Election.

The parties have pledged to dismantle barriers that continue to lock women and other special interest groups out of meaningful political participation, promising a more inclusive path to leadership and representation. That commitment is worthy of recognition.

After all, Kenya’s journey towards implementing the two-thirds gender principle under Article 27(8) of the Constitution has been long, frustrating and unfinished. Yet there have been gains.

The number of women elected to constituency seats rose from 23 in 2017 to 29 in 2022. The number of women governors rose from three to seven over the same period.

These gains did not happen by accident. They began long before polling day. Political parties deliberately supported women candidates, not only by reducing nomination fees or issuing direct tickets but also by convincing voters that women were equally capable leaders.

Consider how Raila Odinga persuaded the current Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi, to step aside and pave the way for Gladys Wanga’s successful gubernatorial bid in Homa Bay. He also brokered a political consensus in which Oyugi Magwanga, who had completed his term as Kasipul MP, shelved his gubernatorial ambitions and agreed to run as her deputy.

Likewise, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka threw his weight behind Wavinya Ndeti, actively campaigning for her in Machakos. She won.

Political parties already have constitutions that guide their internal affairs. One, for example, pledges to “pursue and promote the full participation of women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups.”

The Political Parties Act, 2011, goes even further. It provides that funds allocated to political parties should be used, among other purposes, to promote the representation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities and marginalised communities in Parliament and county assemblies.

Then there is the Constitution itself. Article 27(8) has become one of the most frequently quoted provisions in discussions on political representation.

The principle is unequivocally clear: no more than two-thirds of members of elective bodies should be of the same gender. It does not grant men an automatic majority while relegating women to a minority share.

And political parties know this. Inclusion is not an event triggered by an approaching election. It is a continuous process that should be embedded in their everyday operations and decision-making.

Just as parties continuously recruit members, they should continuously invest in creating pathways for women and marginalised groups to participate, lead and compete.

We cannot ignore the political arithmetic. Women accounted for 49.12 per cent of the 22.1 million registered voters in the 2022 election. Politicians understand the significance of that number. It is no surprise, then, that election periods often trigger a flood of promises directed at women voters.

Committing is one thing. Delivering is another. Recently, during debates on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, MPs likened political parties to clubs.

If that analogy holds, then the question becomes whether members within those clubs genuinely support the commitments their leaders make.

Who feels threatened by greater inclusion? Who benefits from maintaining the status quo? Who might frustrate efforts to translate these commitments into reality? And, most importantly, what practical steps will parties take to ensure more women are elected?

Political Parties Disputes Tribunal chairperson Innocent Muganda recently captured the challenge perfectly:

“The real test towards democratic maturity is not whether a party has rules written in its constitution; it is whether those rules are known to be fair and are consistently applied.”

The same applies to declarations. The issue is not how impressive a pledge appears on paper. The real test is whether it results in more women winning competitive, non-affirmative elective seats.

Will parties go beyond conference halls and travel to villages to persuade communities that women are equally capable leaders? Will they invest political capital in changing attitudes at the grassroots?

As Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi recently asked during a National Gender and Equality Commission-convened forum attended by women aspirants: “Unajulikana mashinani?” (Are you known at the grassroots?)

Because beyond the declarations, it is voters who will have the final say at the ballot box.

The political mood already tells us what women candidates are up against.

When Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor reacted to Winnie Odinga’s hint that she may contest the Nairobi Senate seat, which he is also eyeing on an ODM ticket, he said, “We are going to the wire.”

He explained that the phrase meant never giving up and doing whatever it takes. He then added, “Some of us, where we come from, giving her peace is the last thing we will do.”

Women do not want to be treated with kid gloves. What they want are fair campaigns, credible nominations, transparent voting processes and impartial outcomes. They want elections free from intimidation, manipulation and political sabotage.

The contest should be agenda versus agenda, not agenda versus gender.

And support for women should never be activated only at the beginning of an election cycle and forgotten at the end of one. Inclusion cannot be reduced to a campaign card that is pulled out when convenient.

Women’s representation in Parliament and county assemblies is not a favour. It is not a reward. It is not a token of appreciation. It is simply what the country promised itself when it adopted a Constitution founded on equality. And it is time political parties proved they believe in it.