Women legislators have decried the increasing digital attacks and cyberbullying targeting female leaders, saying they infringe on their constitutional rights to privacy as mothers, wives, and private citizens.
On Tuesday, the women leaders rallied behind Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, calling on county residents and Kenyans at large to empathize with the county boss, who is recuperating in the United States after delivering twins.
Addressing the media at Parliament Buildings, they reiterated that women leaders are not exempt from natural processes such as childbirth and motherhood, and that no Kenyan woman should ever be forced to choose between being a leader and going through biological processes.
The women—Members of Parliament, Senators, and Women Representatives—implored Kenyans to exercise patience with the governor as she regains her health.
“As women leaders of Kenya, we stand here today in solidarity with Governor Susan Kihika, a dedicated public servant and a mother who has recently welcomed twins into the world. We congratulate her on the birth of her children. They are a blessing from God, and we give thanks,” stated the leaders in a joint statement.
“First and foremost, we wish to remind the public that childbirth is a natural, unique, and deeply personal process. As women leaders, we recognize the unique challenges that come with balancing public service and family responsibilities. The journey to motherhood brings immense joy but can also come with unforeseen medical complications requiring time for recovery and healing. Many women have gone through this, and Governor Kihika is no different.”
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika at a past function.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The legislators argued that motherhood does not pause leadership; rather, it enriches it through the diverse experiences and strengths women bring to the table.
“You can lead. You can be a mother. You can be both. And we will stand together to ensure that no woman is ever forced to choose between the two,” they stated.
The legislators—Nominated Senators Tabitha Mutinda, Hamida Kibwana, and Veronica Maina; Woman Representatives Cynthia Muge, and Betty Maina, as well as former Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga—emphasized that women leaders are entitled to private lives, just as their male counterparts are.
They cited instances where male leaders, such as a former Nyeri governor Nderitu Gachagua, who later died in 2017 after a long illness, have been on extended leave for up to a year without attracting similar scrutiny or public attacks.
Ms Muge, the Nandi Woman Representative, reassured Nakuru residents that the county was running smoothly under the leadership of the deputy governor, whom Governor Kihika entrusted with leadership in her absence.
“She has discharged her duties, and she left a very able team to continue carrying out her constitutional responsibilities to the people of Nakuru. We appreciate the people of Nakuru—we tell them they did not make a wrong choice; they made the best choice, and you will see the results in due time,” she stated.
“To all women and girls: you can be both. You can be a governor, senator, woman representative, president, prime minister, cabinet secretary—you can be anything you ever dreamt of, and still be a mother.”
According to Ms Maina, the Murang’a Woman Representative, it has been a tempestuous journey for women leaders in Kenya, who are often scrutinized and chastised for reasons beyond their control.
“When a woman leader is unmarried or fails to have a child, she is ridiculed. When she gets married and is blessed with the gift of motherhood, it is still a problem. What do you want us to do?” posed Maina.
Ms Maina, the nominated senator, expressed concern that a section of Kenyans have resorted to abusing social media to bully and intimidate women leaders—some even “writing to the U.S. Embassy to deport Governor Kihika.”
“Governor Kihika has shown us you can be a leader and also have children because the law allows her. Nothing has gone wrong in Nakuru County. Kids are a blessing. Don’t you know in some countries, women are paid to have kids? Let’s give women a break.”
The legislators are demanding an end to gendered attacks on the Nakuru Governor and other women leaders, including respect for their constitutionally recognized right to maternity leave without political bullying.
They have called for a “fair political environment where leadership is judged by performance and integrity—not gender or motherhood.”
