COUNTY POLITICS: Gladys Wanga has one foot in Parliament after direct ticket

Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga seems set for a smooth ride back to the National Assembly.

Ms Wanga is among other political leaders and aspirants across the country who were given direct nomination by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) this week.

Besides bagging the ODM ticket, Ms Wanga so far appears not to have a challenger from other political parties to oppose her in the ODM backyard come August 8.

This sets her on course for a second stint as Homa Bay County Representative, unless another contestant emerges before the elections and wrests the seat from her.

The direct nomination was but another win for Ms Wanga, who just last year, was elected ODM party’s Homa Bay County chairperson.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
In the western Kenya region, Ms Wanga is the only woman MP so far facing no opponent in the forthcoming elections.

Vihiga Woman Representative Dorcas Kedogo and her Kakamega counterpart Ms Rachael Ameso scaled up their ambitions and are now gunning for the National Assembly.

The argue they are giving space to other women in their counties to seek representative seats allocated to women by the Constitution.

Ms Kedogo yesterday told the Nation that she was eyeing the Vihiga parliamentary seat to accord more women from the county an opportunity for representation in Parliament. Ms Ameso is seeking Kwhisero parliamentary seat.

WOMEN ISSUES
Despite intense political lobbying by governorship candidates in the Homa Bay governorship race for her support, Ms Wanga assured all the contestants that she would remain neutral, given her position as the party’s boss in Homa Bay County.

“I do not support any governorship candidate. They are all equal to the task and should therefore compete fairly without dragging me into the contest since I am a top official of the party whose ticket they are seeking,” she said.

Ms Wanga’s rising political fortunes is attributed to her involvement in issues affecting women and the girl child in the county.

Former Karachuonyo MP and gender activist Phoebe Asiyo says that Ms Wanga’s role in affirmative action in the county has won her key grassroots support.

Ms Asiyo expects more women to seek elective positions in Nyanza to help boost their representation in the national assembly.

“Women must take advantage of the affirmative action clauses in the Constitution to seek elective positions,” said Ms Asiyo.

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Mr George Mboya, a political commentator, says that legislators are undergoing the pressure exerted by electorate to them to initiate development projects.

This is forcing many to shift to elective positions, which has direct budgetary allocations.

“The electorate still associates all elective positions with direct development projects. The pressure to win their confidence in the face of criticism of underperformance has made some Woman Representatives to scale down their ambitions,” said Mr Mboya.