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The Ups and Downs of the female aspirants in Kipsigis

CULTURE in the Kipsigis community is a major factor that has made women politicians perform poorly in the political arena.

Most of the women have tried to join politics and compete equally with men but because of the culture it has made most women avoid politics since they fear losing in an election.

In this year elections most of the women declared their interests in different kipsigis women political seats but men still believe women can't lead them.

In Sotik constituency Lorna Laboso made history when she defeated men by getting 16,419 votes against 8,317 votes.

Lorna is among the few women in Kipsigis who will battle out with men in other parties but women have resolved to elect her in December polls.

When contacted for comments Lorna disclosed that it was not easy for her to win the ODM nomination but she was determined to win even after her opponents were spreading propaganda that she was not married.

The community for along time has had a low opinion on women when it comes to leadership roles but the same has since changed since more women are being elected to elective posts. edna bore

Two women parliamentary aspirants in Bureti constituency Recho Yegon and Edna Bore lost ODM nomination an issue that shows men were still dominating the field.

During the campaigns, the electorates were not discussing them and when interviewed on how they thought women were fairing their answer was more often than not, "women are not going anywhere".

In Belgut Dr Esther Keino went unopposed in the ODM-K parliamentary nomination and is expected to face several men during the coming polls.

Keino a gender practitioner has been always advocating for gender discrimination in society adding that men are biased and always deny women an opportunity to lead.

With the civic nominations most of the women civic aspirants are increasing in number and likely win the seats in different areas.

A case of Edna Rop in Koiwa ward an ODM civic aspirant in Konoin constituency who lost in the just concluded nomination was one of the strong women politicians but her opponents spread propaganda about her until she failed to win the seat.

Edna narrated how her opponents took advantage of her private life by exposing unnecessary information to voters.

She later managed to score a total of 1136 votes against her opponent 1317 votes respectively.

Edna said that the community still have a belief that women can’t lead them adding that only few understand that both men and women can compete equally only if given an opportunity.

In This Issue

You Can be Sure We'll Have more women in the 10th Parliament

OVER 120 women scooped party nominations in the various Political Parties which is a clear indication that women’s numbers will increase in 2008... [More]

Women aspirants meet to condemn electoral irregularities and malpractice at Party Primaries

WOMEN parliamentary aspirants have joined hands to criticize the recently concluded process of parliamentary and civic nominations that were characterized by serious electoral malpractices and irregularities... [More]

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 MPs succeeded in the ODM nominations...[More]

Women stand to gain the most from a free and fair election

Does this strike you as odd that only 2 days after Prof. Wangari Maatha came in a distant third in the PNU primaries, she boarded a plane to be awarded the yet another international honour in India for her commitment to peace and environment...[More]

Dr. Julia Ojiambo’s Aspirations at the top.

More than thirty years in Kenya's turbulent political arena, Kenya's Iron Lady Dr. Julia Ojiambo is still fighting...[More]

Men will meet their waterloo at this year's general elections

A good number of women aspirants have already been cleared in the first huddle and are bracing for the titanic battle ahead which their supporters are confident will be “a smooth ride,”... [More]

Some may have lost the battle, but we pray the war is far from over

On the way side, saw many veteran politicians who have been in Parliament since time immemorial. The likes of David Mwenje who lost the PNU nominations to little known Simon Mbugua, Nyanza only spared 5 out of the 21 immediate former MPs... [More]

ODM-K fields highest number of female candidates

ODM Kenya’s promise to have the woman’s voice of women being fully heard in the party and properly represented at all levels may be more action than rhetoric. In the just concluded nomination exercise, ODM Kenya fielded the highest number of female candidates. [More]

Women ready to bring change to the political arena

This year's election saw an impressive number of female aspirants determined to trounce their male counterparts in both the civic and parliamentary elections in the December polls. [More]

The ups and downs of the female aspirants in Kipsigis

CULTURE in the Kipsigis community is a major factor that has made women politicians perform poorly in the political arena.[More]

Prof. Christine Mango frustrated in ODM primaries

IMMEDIATE outgoing Butula MP Prof. Christine Mango seems to have been frustrated in her bid to recapture her parliamentary seat during the ODM primaries last week. [More]

Don't vote for candidates who instigate gender based electoral violence

Alice Wahome, a parliamentary aspirant from Kandara constituency was severely attacked by her opponents. Alice won the Party of National Unity (PNU) nomination for the constituency. [More]

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