Women aim for senior seats, hope to make history

Nominated Senator Daisy Kanainza. She plans to contest the Likuyani MP seat. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In Mumias East constituency, Ms Omurunga will be trying to unseat the incumbent, Mr Benjamin Washiali.
  • Ms Jackie Okanya is seeking the Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket to contest the Matungu constituency seat.

Youthful women aspirants in Kakamega County are positioning themselves to fight it out for political positions.

The aspirants have stepped up campaigns to try and overcome the odds they faced in last elections. 

In the 2013 polls, women failed to clinch MP seats in the county save for the one reserved for them.

Only four women were elected as ward representatives while 56 seats went to men.

Things are looking different this time round as the aspirants gear up for tough campaigns, despite facing financial and logistical challenges in their preparations. 

The aspirants include ODM nominated Senator Daisy Kanainza who is seeking the Likuyani MP seat.

In the Senate, she has been instrumental in pushing the youth economic agenda by recommending a wide range of changes to strengthen the Public Procurement Asset Bill to ensure that young people not only access the 30 per cent procurement quota but also benefit from a larger share of the allocation

“I have been visiting counties to ensure that the 30 per cent procurement quota is adhered to because we need the young people to benefit from the tenders,” she says.

She has also worked to strengthened the table-banking concept among women in Lugari.

“I have been working with a group of women traders and I am trying to see how best we can empower them transform their weekly contributions into establishing a sacco that will help them grow their businesses,” she reveals.

Ms Kanainza says her political journey has not been without challenges and cites culture, which remains a major impediment to women leadership.

“Culture still undermines women in leadership because men feel that they are better placed to articulate public issues,” she adds.

The incumbent, Dr Enock Kibunguchy, was elected on an ODM ticket but has since moved to Ford Kenya meaning the Orange ticket is up for grabs.

DIFFICULT HURDLES

In Jubilee, those going for the ticket include newcomer Steve Kisaka and Makhanu Wamboko who lost in the primaries in 2013.

Mr Kisaka’s popularity among the youth and his political connection, especially to the Deputy President’s wing of the Jubilee coalition, may give him the advantage in the race for the party’s ticket.

In Mumias East constituency, Ms Catherine Omurunga, aged 37, will be making an attempt to become the first female MP in a male dominated contest. 

Ms Omurunga will be trying to unseat the incumbent, Mr Benjamin Washiali, a key Jubilee point man in Kakamega County.  

The stakes are high as candidates from different parties gear up for tough campaigns ahead and prepare to compete and outdo each other. 

Mr Washiali, who has served as MP for two consecutive terms, has laughed off the onslaught by his competitors trying to unseat him after he ditched UDF for the Jubilee. 

He says his development track record speaks for itself.

“I’m confident of clinching victory for a third term since my decision to join Jubilee was driven by the desire to ensure my people are close to the government and benefit from projects initiated by the Jubilee administration,” said Mr Washiali.

The first hurdle for Ms Omurunga will be to try and clinch the ODM ticket, which Mr Justin Mutobera, a former political advisor to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, is seeking. 

If Ms Omurunga gets past the party nominations and clinches the ODM ticket, she will then need to prepare for bruising campaigns ahead with Mr Washiali and the other aspirants who include Mr James Rapando, who is seeking the Ford Kenya ticket. 

“I know things will not be easy but I draw my strength from the overwhelming support I enjoy from the women in the constituency,” said Ms Omurunga. 

The trader has been able to mobilise medical camps in the constituency to enable poor families to access free treatment.

She says the popularity of ODM in Mumias East had influenced her decision to contest for the seat on the party’s ticket. 

“As a woman, I want to demonstrate that one does not need large sums of money to win an election.

WOMEN VOTERS

My priority will be to debunk the myth in the community about women lacking the potential to win and serve effectively in an elective positions,” said Ms Omurunga. 

In Matungu constituency, Ms Jackie Okanya is seeking the Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket to contest the seat, which attracted political heavy weights including the incumbent, Mr David Were and retired Anglican Bishop of Mumias Diocese, Mr Beneah Salalah Okumu. 

Ms Okanya has been trying to persuade voters in the constituency to give a woman a chance to turn around the development agenda of the constituency.  

She says she has strong networks in the constituency and will be relying on her past experience as a manager of a micro-finance institutions in the region to win the support of women who were her clients.
“The time has come for residents of Matungu to vote in a woman as their next MP and support her to initiate development projects that will impact meaningfully on the lives of communities,” says Ms Okanya. 

She has been buoyed by the strong wave for political change sweeping across the constituency. 

“I want the residents of Matungu to know that I’m prepared to sacrifice my time and energy to serve them as their MP if they give me the opportunity at the polls in August,” said Ms Okanya.

But she will be facing well-heeled aspirants who include ODM’s Paul Posho and Peter Nabulindo of Jubilee and Justus Murunga of ANC.

Additional reporting by AWC Features.