INEQUALITY: Politics no walk in the park for Kenyan women

The political arena in the country appears to be far from offering a level playing field for women politicians, at least going by results of the recent party primaries.

Only a handful of women successfully endured the bruising and bare-knuckled campaigns  staged mainly by their male opponents.    Most of the women had to contend with various forms of violence, political thuggery and intimidation, including sexual harassment,  meted on them by male opponents and their supporters with the aim of elbowing them out of the race.

In Nyeri County, where no woman won in the recent Jubilee Party primaries for MP or senator’s ticket, the female politicians underwent a baptism of fire, largely in the form of physical attacks, sexual harassment and negative propaganda.

Ms Sheila Githaiga, who unsuccessfully vied for the senate seat was in one instance accosted by a mob of  more than 30 men armed with batons and machetes at Bellview village in Kieni West on her way home after campaigns.

TRAILED BY TWO MEN

“I was trailed by two men riding on a motorbike for more than 30 minutes. Then suddenly a crowd emerged. They blocked the road with tyres and stones. They smashed the rear window of my car after my husband pleaded with them to spare us,” Ms Githaiga said, adding that the young men intimidated her to drop her political bid. 

In an interview with the Nation, Ms Githaiga said women were neglected by security agencies.

Ms Cathy Wanjiku Irungu, 33, who was vying for Mathira parliamentary seat, was constantly sexually harassed by supporters of her rivals.

“The sexual harassment takes two forms; verbal and physical. The verbal harassment takes a subtle but a very embarrassing and intimidating form where your appearance and beauty takes the centre stage and not the issues at hand,” said Ms Irungu.

HURL INSULTS

She noted that others would hurl insults loaded with sexual undertones especially when they are not given money.

“The physical form of sexual harassment takes the form of encroachment on personal space from an admiring and ogling public, forced and attempted hugs from men, unwarranted touching and in some cases efforts  to undress you especially when campaigning in hostile territory,” she observed adding that  goons were even hired to intimidate her.

In one incident, youths well-known to her  slapped, manhandled and touched her inappropriately at Nyeri National Polytechnic during a meeting for aspirants, she adds.

Ms Ann Kany, who vied for the Tetu parliamentary seat and lost, escaped death by a whisker, after four masked men who were armed with metal bars attacked her at Mbaaini village. They blocked her vehicle and the attackers jumped out smashing windows of her car before dragging her out and assaulting her.

She sustained back, leg and neck injuries and also a knee dislocation. She was treated at Mathari Mission hospital. The perpetrators were never arrested though she reported the incident at Gachatha police station.

FOUR WOMEN TRIUMPHED

In Kiambu, where only four women  triumphed in the highly competitive Jubilee Party primaries -- two for Members on Parliament and two for the ward rep seats -- the campaign trail was  hostile ground for women aspirants.

Ms Jacqueline Nungari who won the JP ticket for Bibirioni ward in Kiambu County has seen it all.

The nominated MCA narrated to the Nation an incident in which one of her opponents plotted with goons to strip her naked to humiliate and discourage her from running.

Although the plan did not succeed, Ms Nungari says that was her baptism into politics and has kept her prepared and ready to handle any situation.

“You wake up one morning and people decide to call you a prostitute, forgetting that you are a mother and a sister to someone. Sometimes the male candidates will use your fellow women to criticise  you,” she said, and described some of her experience as hell.

In Nyanza, a region whose politics is male dominated, three women namely Ms Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Dr Lilian Gogo (Rangwe) and Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul), have been cleared by ODM – the dominant party in the area to face off with their male colleagues in the National Assembly races in the August 8 polls.

Ms Odhiambo, Dr Gogo and Ms Obara defied all odds and faced off with men in the nominations in a region where culture plays out against women.

“I won the ODM ticket and I’m just waiting for clearance by the IEBC. It was not an easy task though,” Ms Obara, the former Kenya Literature Bureau managing director said.

For Ms Odhiambo, the death of her guard, Kennedy Okore, on the D-day of the primaries and the torching of her house in Mbita, are two scenes she will live to remember in her political journey.

Her aide sustained serious injuries after he was run over by a vehicle when chaos broke out at Urianda Primary School, Lambwe ward in Mbita.

Ms Odhiambo blamed her rivals at the time for  the death, but one of them denied the allegations saying “the MP was simply seeking for political mileage.”

ODM PRIMARIES

A few days later, Ms Odhiambo’s house at Koyani, Lambwe in Mbita was set ablaze amid protests over the results of ODM primaries.

In the South Rift, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso who is the Sotik MP, is optimistic of dethroning Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto of Chama Cha Mashinani Party in the General Election.

“To win the race, I do not focus on the name calling. My great use of Constituency Development Funds to transform the lives of Sotik residents speaks for itself. I also sell my manifesto to the people of Bomet which is tailored towards improving education, health and agricultural standards among others,” said Dr Laboso.

Dr Gogo, a lecturer at Egerton University wrestled off four men in the primaries.

“I have to mention to you that it was not an easy task to win that race. I had to fight hard amid threats and violence by my opponents. In some polling stations, my agents were even sent away but that did not stop my victory,” she said.

Kisumu deputy governor Ruth Odinga, who dropped her gubernatorial bid to campaign for her brother Raila Odinga, who is the National Super Alliance (Nasa) presidential candidate, argues that parties must crack the whip to end political violence meted against women aspirants.

“I am afraid that from this trend, we may have few or even lack a female deputy governor in our party,” Ms Odinga said.

Nominated senator Joy Gwendo of Jubilee who wants to unseat Shakeel Shabbir as Kisumu East MP said the insults on sexuality was a great challenge to women aspiring for leadership positions.

“I face a lot of challenges. The biggest being insults on my sexuality and societal challenges, considering we live in a patriarchal society,” says Ms Gwendo.

In Kiambu, Thika Town’s Alice Ng’ang’a and former broadcaster and nominated MCA Wanjiku wa Kibe who  won the JP ticket for Gatundu North, also  say they  experienced all manner of harassment and intimidation during the campaigns for the Jubilee Party ticket.

Ms N’gan’ga who is seeking re-election for a second term faces two male opponents she defeated during the primaries. She accused her rivals of  teaming up to harass and intimidate her and her supporters. Ms Ng’ang’a says the campaign was so dirty and she was shocked by the extent to which the male rivals would go to try and humiliate her out of the race. This included attempts to drag in  dirt, and cause her emotion pain.

“You need to be prepared and tough because you can expect anything at any given time. People will target you and your family. They will even go to the extent of trying to maliciously  discredit your candidature,” says the Thika Town MP.

Ms Kibe says women, who enter politics must be ready to endure all manner of propaganda including intrusion into their private life.

“In politics, for a woman to be called names including a prostitute is not a big deal.

PHYSICALLY ATTACKED

‘‘ Someone can call you anything regardless of the environment you are in, just to kill your morale so that you can quit the race,” Ms Kibe said, adding that some of her campaigners  were physically attacked.

One of her campaigners, she says, was attacked and beaten up by her opponents and everyday, she would endure insults and propaganda which she says was meant to bring her down. She advises women politicians to be strong and brave and ignore the intimidation.

In Isiolo County, women  aspirants say that despite their efforts to put up strong campaigns against their male rivals, they still face a lot of intimidation  and harassment. Only two women have expressed interest to vie for top three county elective posts with most flocking for the “safe’’ woman rep seat.

Ms Lucy Mworia who is running for the Isiolo North parliamentary seat as an independent candidate says that male rivals even hire goons to physically harass the women aspirants.

“We want security agencies and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to provide us with bodyguards for protection as we traverse the region in search of votes,” she noted.

She cited a case of incitement, in which one of her  rivals is said to have spread propaganda that a woman cannot solve conflicts arising from cattle theft that is rampant in the region if she gets elected.

Nominated Senator Fatuma Dhulo, who is vying for the senator’s post, has warned her male competitors against playing the gender card but says that would not deter her from seeking the seat.

“I am ready to face off with eight male candidates, but those spreading propaganda that the seat only belongs to men are wrong, the Constitution allows women to contest for any elective seat,” said Ms Dhulo who is vying on a Party for Development and Reforms (PDR) ticket.