Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor (DG), Prof. Grace Cheserek, has called on non-governmental organizations dealing with women empowerment to step up sensitization and capacity-building programmes for women entering the political field ahead of next year’s general election amid growing frustrations over systemic marginalization and tokenism.
The DG said women seeking elective office need training to navigate the increasingly hostile political landscape and how to structure, refine, and effectively communicate their political agendas to voters.
She was speaking in an Iten hotel during the launch of the “Moving Commitments to Action” Enhancing Accountability in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda by the Rural Women Peace Link (RWPL) in collaboration with Act Change Transformation (ACT!), which will be undertaken in Endo Ward of Kerio Valley Sub-county.
The DG said women also need to be equipped with strategies to tackle cyberbullying, which include online harassment, targeted abuse, and disinformation during campaigns, adding that they also need to be prepared to manage physical security risks and safety concerns while on the campaign trail.
A baseline survey presented by Sanda Jumba from ACT! showed that women leaders are raising an alarm over tokenistic representation, saying while constitutional provisions like the two-thirds gender rule exist, many feel their presence is merely treated as a compliance exercise rather than genuine inclusion.
According to the survey, many women reported being denied the opportunity to speak at the various organizations where they are members, and when they do, their contributions are frequently omitted from official minutes and records.
The survey further claimed that while women are given executive positions in various committees, they still feel they are relegated to passive roles as they are unable to set the agendas or make decisions, thus stifling their influence in governance.
Ms. Jumba called on the electorate to vote for women who possess the vision and capacity to articulate community issues as women representatives, saying only then can they earn their place in other elective seats.
“For a long time the issuance of sanitary towels has been a major agenda of the women representatives, but maybe if women are empowered instead, they will provide themselves with the sanitary towels,” she said.
She said women are now demanding a shift from symbolic representation on paper to actual implementation, saying that true political progress requires women to sit at the decision-making table with equal authority, influence, and voice.
The governor’s advisor on gender affairs, Winnie Kanda, said while the seat of women representative is set aside for women aspirants, women should be bold enough to seek other elective seats.
The County Director for Gender, Joseph Amuke, called on the County Government to enact a Gender Policy which can be used to influence budgeting, saying currently most projects rely on donor funding, which is not sustainable when donors pull out.
By Alice Wanjiru
