As political alliances begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 General Election, a women’s lobby group has called for the meaningful inclusion of grassroots women in political parties and coalition negotiations.
The women leaders, under the Mama Kenya Movement, argued that women constituted a significant share of registered voters in the 2022 elections and therefore deserve full participation in political and policy processes for legitimacy, inclusivity, and effective governance.
“This movement emphasises that women shouldn’t be sidelined, particularly those at the grassroots who are key drivers of community development and social cohesion,” said Fatma Jumanne, the Spokesperson of the movement, during a media briefing in Mombasa.
“Including women in leadership and policy formulation ensures that governance reflects the realities, needs, and aspirations of the majority of Kenyans,” she added.
The movement urged political parties and leaders to acknowledge women’s electoral and societal power and make deliberate efforts to involve them in decision-making.
“Kenya’s progress and stability hinge on the full participation of women in shaping leadership and policy at all levels,” Jumanne emphasised.
Mama Kenya Movement Chairperson Amina Ridhwani echoed the sentiments, saying parties must integrate women into ongoing coalition talks.
“We see coalitions being formed, but we don’t see the faces of women, yet we hold 47 per cent of the votes,” said Ridhwani, calling for greater gender inclusivity in emerging political formations.
She announced that the movement plans a countrywide campaign to promote civic education on voter registration, peace, and sustainable development ahead of the 2027 elections.
“As Mama Kenya, we have no boundaries. We bring together women from all parties and religions. Our mission is to inspire change and ensure women actively participate in development,” she stated, adding that they seek to empower more women to vie for leadership positions.
Mama Ambasa, another member of the movement, expressed concern over the low voter registration turnout in Mombasa despite the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise, attributing it to a lack of awareness and leadership engagement.
“It is as if we don’t have leaders. We elected them, yet we don’t see them coming up to guide us,” she said, pledging that the movement will mobilise women and youth to register as voters.
She further urged women to unite in leading the sensitisation drive to ensure they have the numbers to elect leaders committed to transformative governance.
Meanwhile, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon revealed during a youth sensitisation forum organised by Amnesty International that Mombasa County had registered only 3,976 new voters.
He said the Commission targets to enlist 183,000 additional voters across Mombasa’s six constituencies, raising the county’s total registered voters to 825,000 by 2027.
By Sadik Hassan
