1 Issue Number 34 • January 2013 Issue Number 34 • February 2013 Glaring gender inequality Political parties remain defiant of affirmative action rule and fail to pick women …By Faith Muiruri leadership,” explains Joy Masheti, a pro- gramme manager with the Caucus for ailure by political parties to Women Leadership during an interview uphold the gender principle in with the Kenya Woman. the nomination of candidates While the national values and prin- across the board is likely to so- ciples of governance in the Constitu- Flidify gender disparities that have been tion are a strong affirmation that em- entrenched over the years. powerment and gender equity will be The Constitution notwithstand- achieved, discrimination on the basis of ing, the bid to increase the number of gender continues unabated. women in political leadership has yet This can be attested by the exclusion again suffered a devastating blow after of women from mainstream party activ- women performed dismally at all levels ities with clear scenarios playing out in of the primaries with majority choosing the open, even as presidential aspirants instead to take refuge in the 47 seats re- roll up their sleeves for a tough battle to served for Women (County member of woo voters. the national assembly). A close scrutiny of candidates lined Preliminary information from po- up as running mates for respective pres- litical parties indicates that a total of 97 idential and gubernatorial contestants, women will be battling it out for the reveals that the position is purely domi- 47 positions. Only 32 women made it nated by men. Only Professor James Ole through the party lists for competitive Kiyiapi has named a woman as his run- seats that are not reserved for women ning mate. Kiyiapi picked former civil only. servant Winnie Kinyua Kaburu to be his According to a report compiled partner in the gruelling duel. by Centre for Multiparty Democracy Narc Kenya’s presidential aspirant (CMD), three women have been cleared Martha Karua has also upheld the gen- A reflection of gender parity as to contest for the governor’s seat, six as der parity principle by naming Augus- Augustine Lotodo teams up with senators and 23 have been cleared to tine Lotodo as her running mate. Loto- Narc Kenya’s presidential aspirant contest for the parliamentary. do is the Narc Kenya vice chairman and a former member of the East African Martha Karua in the race to state Strategy Legislative Assembly. house. Inset: Restore and Build Unless there are immediate plans to However, leading presidential con- Kenya presidential aspirant Prof respect and implement the principle of tenders have defied the gender rule and James Ole Kiyiapi and Winnie affirmative action, the realization of the named fellow men as running mates. Kinyua Kaburu, the only other gender threshold remains elusive, even The Coalition for Reforms and Democ- pair who have upheld gender as the March 4 General Elections draw racy (CORD) flag bearer Raila Odinga parity. closer. has nominated Vice President Kalonzo Photos: Kenya Woman Correspondent “We must come up with a multi- Musyoka as his running mate. The Ju- pronged strategy to sensitise commu- nities on the need to embrace women Continued on page 4 EDITORIAL Women aspirants brace for hard times as polls draw closer oing by the bitter lessons to their party offices to demand to be example for sanity to prevail in the Senator), Gender and Social Services ing that its implementation would be learnt from the just con- told why they were “rigged out” and forthcoming polls. Minister Dr Naomi Shaban (Sen- gradual and take effect on the eve of cluded chaotic and opaque their rivals who had the blessings of Indeed, the intrigues and board- ate Taita Taveta); Housing Assistant the March 4, 2013, General Elections. party nominations, wom- the party king-pins were handed over room machinations is nothing to Minister Bishop Wanjiru (Senator Under that clause, one third of Gen aspirants in the six elective posts automatic party nomination to run write home about, leave alone the Nairobi), Higher Education Minis- all elective posts would have been re- are dismayed to say the least. It is a for the Senate; Governor; Women’s shambolic, chaotic and opaque man- ter Prof Margaret Kamar (Governor served for women, in other words out lesson on how not to conduct party representative, Member of Parlia- ner in which the nominations were - Uasin Gishu) and Sports Assistant of the 280 MPs, 93.3 would have been primaries on the same day by all regis- ment or ward representatives’ posts. carried out in the most women-un- Minister Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos - the domain of elected women from tered political parties! Business woman Aisha Abdi, friendly environment. Governor). the 47 Counties. How sweet it sounds Most of the women leaders who who was vying for County repre- There is also good news for the to the ear as we watch the mess in the took a step of faith to contest for the sentatives in Kibra constituency, is a Condemnation women’s movement, as business- male-dominated political parties. elective positions, as per the new Con- classic example of the violence meted Already the Law Society of Kenya woman, Winnie Kaburu Kinyajui, But all is not lost, even the few stitution, got a rude shock at the nom- out against women aspirants forcing (LSK) and the team of Eminent Per- was recently named running mate women who have made it through inations where they saw their battle many of them to step aside. sons have condemned the political for Restore and Build Party of Kenya the primaries in their respective par- hardened male rivals elbow them out But a defiant Aisha stood her parties in the manner in which they presidential aspirant, former Educa- ties still stand a chance to fight it out and manipulate the electoral process ground, even after they intimidated carried out their primaries saying the tion Permanent Secretary, Prof James with their male counterparts to en- with impunity to their interest.. her, beat up her supporters and then Independent Electoral and Boundar- Kiyiapi. sure that they beef up the numbers went ahead to loot and destroy her ies Commission (IEBC) must now There is no doubt that the odds at the local authorities; the August Protests property. They had also threatened step in to restore sanity in the elec- against women leaders are high, but House; the Governor’s offices; the The daring ones further faced her saying unless she stepped down toral process. they are determined to soldier on. Senate and in the most powerful seat the full wrath of intimidation and they would torch her house in the But there is still a ray of hope on the land – State House. outright violence by youths hired by sprawling Nairobi slums. for the hundreds of women politi- Ruling Indeed, as we brace for the bruis- their rivals to frustrate their political Her case is one of the many that cians who are still on the race de- Another major drawback was the ing campaign trail, a word from US ambitions. the new Inspector General, David Ki- spite the shambolic primaries. They recent Supreme Court ruling on the President Barack Obama during his Even the male candidates were maiyo, and Director of Public Prose- are former Constitutional Affairs one-third affirmative action clause 2008 elections campaigns, can come not spared in the fiasco as we wit- cution, Keriako Tobiko, should probe minister, Martha Karua (President), in the new Constitution, just a few in handy for the women candidates: nessed thousands of them trooping and bring the culprits to book as an Water minister Charity Ngilu (Kitui days to the nomination exercise, stat- “Yes we can!” 2 Issue Number 34 • February 2013 Election pacts push women to the side lines …By Wanjiku Mwaura entertainers when strategies are be- ing launched. Then a few women olitical pacts crafted ahead of are assigned with the task to con- the elections have left women vince the rest to tag along,” says aspirants reeling in confu- Atieno. sion. Karua who has decided to go PThe Constitution notwithstand- it alone has been treated as a lone ing, women have been sidelined in ranger, simply for the fact that she key positions in the ‘coalitions’ before decided not to join any coalition. the General Election in March. For now, a conscious decision to include Compromising women in political parties as required Ngilu who was burning hot in the Constitution seems to have and cold between CORD and Ju- been overshadowed as big parties like bilee Alliance, did not even feature ODM, TNA, URP and UDM among where decisions were being made others craft their ‘winning strategies’ on nominating Presidential aspi- in the coalitions that have taken a rants and their running mates. male face. Ngilu, who had launched a very “Look at the parties, women are strong presidential bid, ended up running the secretariats, and I mean being swallowed in the Jubilee Al- they are the secretaries and all other liance with a weak promise that she jobs in party headquarters, but that is will be the leader of Senate. She has as far as they go,” says Pauline Kimani, now dropped her presidential bid an activist working with marginalised and is headed for Senate hoping groups. she will clinch the position in Kitui “When leaders in ODM, TNA, County. URP, Wiper Democratic Party and The Restore and Build Kenya Deputy Prime Minister Musalia UDM say they are talking to like- Party is the only one that has come Mudavadi joins in a dance shortly minded partners, it means the ex- up with a woman as a running mate.