By Tebby Otieno
Nairobi, Kenya: Dr. Juliet Kimemia vied for the Kiambu County Senatorial seat in 2017. While she did not secure the seat she later secured opportunities to serve in various government dockets that she believes have further sharpened her leadership skills.
She now hopes to apply her wealth of knowledge and experience to govern, Kiambu county residents by vying for the county’s top seat, which has been previously held by male governors.
“I served in the transport and infrastructure docket and also as the County Executive Committee Member for trade and industry. Having gotten the experience of being active in politics, vote hunting, engaging with the community, and also working in the government, I am very convinced that Kiambu lacks people-centered leadership,” she says.
Dr. Kimemia, says that the necessary framework, which includes solid institutional and legal policies is what, her visionary leadership will prioritize to create equal opportunity for investors in the county. She believes the people of Kiambu will give her that opportunity and promises to meet, deliver, and even exceed their expectations.
“During my three-year service as a member of the cabinet, I have seen Kiambu lose a lot of opportunities, particularly for private sector development and investors. Investors come to the county and there is no infrastructure, no framework for engagement, and a lot of agreements shrouded in corruption,” said Dr. Kimemia.
She believes she has all the leadership qualifications plus passion and empathy for people. She says she will ensure the people in Kiambu county will be included in basic knowledge of what the government should be like and how government works and access service delivery.
Dr. Kimemia represents many women who have leadership skills and desire to be elected, by voters who believe that it is okay to lose in an election but still stand and give it another shot. Her passion is an encouragement to many other women like Gethia Mamo, who has declared her interest to vie for the Marsabit county, gubernatorial seat in the 2022 General Elections.
Top of Mamo’s list is ending the community conflicts that she says have been hindering development in the county. She says the fact that she is from a minority community will help her solve the perennial conflict in Marsabit County without being partisan.
“Conflict is affecting the county and sending away investors. Once there is peace, I know we will get investors and our children will get to go to school. We don’t always have to close down schools and get scared off to hide in boreholes every time a fight breaks out,” She says.
According to Mamo, culture has greatly affected the development of girls in her community. She points out at parents who choose to marry off their girls early instead of taking them to school due to poverty.
Mamo who is in her early thirties, says there can never be a right time for any woman to join politics, they can do so at any time as long as they feel they are ready for it.
“I am getting into politics. It is a passion and a career for me. I want to get into it sooner rather than later because most women join politics at an older age when it is a bit too late. I decided to get into it early,” adds the ambitious Mamo.
The first-born daughter in a family of five children, says she has been admiring women leaders like NARC Kenya party leader, Hon Martha Karua and the late Prof.Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She wants to be a role model to many young women and girls in her county.
“I am not scared. I am more than prepared to get into politics, win or lose. The message I want to pass to all women is that it is okay to try and fail, than not to try at all,” she notes.
Since the increase in the number of women who were elected in the 2017 General Elections, most people believe women stand an equal chance of being elected like their male counterparts.
Linet Olima believes she could be the first woman elected to represent Bondo constituents in parliament, should she win the parliamentary seat that she is gunning for in the General Elections that are seven months away.
“I would like to at least influence the giving of The Kenyan Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to those who merit so that they can take their children to school,” she alludes.
“You know everything is important, education, water, electricity as much as they don’t lie on the docket of the Member of Parliament (MP), through representation the MP can lobby for these necessities to be brought to the constituency,” She says.
Madam Olima who has held different managerial dockets at the national government and in parastatals is a graduate from the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PHD).
“For my undergraduate course I studied the economics, I even did a masters on the same and currently I am pursuing a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi,” she adds.
Voters elect visionary leaders with expectations that those in power, they will make or amend legislation that can help solve issues like police brutality and gender-based violence. However, Faith Kasirina feels all the leaders she has been trusting her vote with, have been a total disappointment to her.
“I feel that most of the leaders that we elect don’t respect the will of the people, and that is one of the reasons why I have decided I can be a better leader,” she alludes.
Kasina, who is vying for the Member of County Assembly, seat at Matopeni, Spring Valley ward in Nairobi is a youthful human rights defender, who describes herself as someone who has experienced injustices.
“I am trying to plan how my seven months from January will look like and I know it is going to be draining but because I really want to change this country, and specifically my ward I am going for it and I feel I am capable enough to win it” she asserts.
Efforts to implement the two-thirds gender have so far not borne any fruits going into the 2022 General Elections and some constitutional defenders are now encouraging more women who have an interest in politics to vie for various seats.
“The court has spoken and so too has the constitution on the 2/3 gender quota. To be able to fulfill it let’s just be bold enough and go for all the available seats in the 2022 Elections,” says Njeri Kabeberi, Director, Chapter Four Programs and Projects Limited.
Kabeberi has also called on more organizations to support female aspirants in any way possible.
“Women don’t just have to run for the County Member of Parliament’s seat they should vie for all positions because voters do not discriminate, it is them discriminating against themselves and thinking oh in Kenya women are not electable. No! women are very electable and statistics have shown us that,” she poses.
Women who have in the past vied for and won political positions say, that they had to double their male counterparts’ efforts to do so. A sentiment that Austine Oduor, a voter in Nairobi supports.
“Women have a lot of challenges when they go for political seats, for example, if you are not married, people will start judging you on that. Kenyan politics also result in casualties and women really get it hard in terms of security and how to campaign and beat their male counterparts,” says Oduor.
Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Kenya, an organization that promotes women’s rights and advocate for justice for issues that affect women has launched a women leadership academy for almost four hundred women aspirants.
In an exclusive interview, Moses Okinyi, public relations and communication lead at FIDA Kenya, said the academy will be used to train and support women aspirants in different parts of the country.
“We know that women go through a lot in order to become leaders and that is why we started this academy so that we can be able to support them and train them to talk to the society. There is a project we launched, it is called Vote a Dada, it is to encourage Kenyans to vote for women,” he said adding that
“We do have the current women governors and very able women leaders who have fought for democracy so we do have women who have qualified to be leaders and that is why we are encouraging Kenyans to elect a woman in the vote a dada campaign,”
Culture, patriarchy, campaign financing, and negative publicity are some of the challenges that deny women the opportunity to go for elective seats. As more women vie for these seats in this year’s General Elections, there is a need to empower voters and also come up with policies that will create a fairground.
