Nyanza: 50 stood to be counted, only one sailed through

Nyanza was perhaps the hottest nomination zone of all claiming 18 casualties. Only 5 immediate former MP's succeeded in the ODM nominations.

We can therefore expect that the battle was even tougher for our female aspirants. Just days before the nominations, Monica Amolo who was an aspirant in Ndiwa constituency reported that she was attacked by goons hired by two immediate former MP's in Homa-Bay District. Her convoy was pelted with stones and the car in which she was driving was stopped. One of her body guards was stabbed with a knife and is fighting for his life in Homa-Bay District Hospital. Her posters were strewn all over in the attack.

A political analyst warned that the violence exuded in this area could be as a result the high stakes in obtaining an ODM nomination in a region where defections may not make a difference for nomination losers.

In this region, the over 50 female aspirants declared to run in various constituencies on ODM tickets. It was a truly grueling experience with hardly any of them making headlines during the process. In other constituencies where we heard of women losing by just a whisker or at least coming close, one would have been justified in thinking that Nyanza had no female candidates whereas Rozah Buyu came close to winning the primaries after coming in second to John Aluoch in Kisumu Town West.

There is an outcry from all the female aspirants and generally all the new comers that nominations were not free and fair.

The words of Peter Wanyonyi sink deep in his article to Daily Nation where he likened Party nominations to just a sham arguing that if candidates were going to be imposed on the people, why bother having nominations in the first place?

Some of the female aspirants we called for comment alleged massive voter bribery and rigging in the process that saw them appear as non-contenders after years of hard work with the grass root folk. Though they have sent appeals to the party headquarters, their complaints have fallen on deaf ears leaving them no choice but to seek nomination in smaller parties. Whether this will happen is yet to be seen as time is running out for all aspirants.

According to the Executive Director for The African Centre for Women Information & Communications Technology, Constantine Obuya, independent candidature if allowed by law in Kenya would have seen these candidates better placed to see their names on the ballot papers as opposed to seeking spaces in parties that had no room for them.

Strong contenders like Rosa Buyu in Kisumu Town West, Jacqueline Oduol in Alego Usonga, Nellie Okwiri in Gem, Consolata Yambo in Gwassi, Janet Ogot in Karachuonyo, Patricia Ouma in Kaspiul Kabondo, Juliet Dima and Grace Woigo in Kisumu Town West, Judith Omogi in Mbita, Agness Ojany in Muhoroni, Rose Kisia in Nyakach, Fransica Otete in Ndhiwa, Jane Okendo in Rongo, and Florence Ogur in Nyatike just to mention a few were nowhere in sight. Was there no space for women? What redress mechanisms can these aspirants seek as we head towards the general elections?

Monica Amollo, Florence Sylivia Ogur, Rosa Buyu and Jane Ragira have sinve moved to Narc and now join Caroline Nyamato from Bomachoge who sailed through on Narc Kenya ticket.

Perhaps in the coming weeks and months, we shall learn from the exercise and prove that indeed the assumption that Nyanza has no space for women is only rhetoric after all, the first female mayor was from that region.