Beyond the woman rep: Turkana women target new political ground
Dr Leah Lokala, who has declared her interest in the Turkana Central parliamentary seat, and Sylvia Lapur, who has joined the race for the Turkana senatorial seat.
What you need to know:
- As Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election, women in Turkana are challenging entrenched patriarchy to secure parliamentary, Senate and county leadership positions.
- Despite constitutional gender equality guarantees, women in Turkana continue battling against cultural, financial and political barriers in the race for elective office.
Kenya heads for a general election in August next year, and if there is one test that shows just how far the country still has to go on gender equality, it is the ballot box. Nowhere is that test harder than in counties where patriarchy still runs deep, and Turkana is one of them.
The Constitution's two-thirds gender rule was meant to guarantee women a fairer share of political power, but more than a decade after its promulgation, this provision remains largely unimplemented, and women in places like Turkana have had to fight their way into elective office under some of the most difficult circumstances.
Since the 2013 General Election, when Turkana County had no elected woman besides the woman representative; the story has barely changed. In 2017 and 2022, only one woman won a ward seat. Yet, women here are not giving up on the top county seats that have, for years, been the preserve of men.
It took a remote ward along the shores of Lake Turkana to make history. The electorate in Lakezone gave Turkana its first woman elected to a seat besides the perennially crowded woman representative position since the birth of devolution: Leah Nachere. She won it, interestingly, despite not knowing how to read or write, defeating the incumbent, Moses Lomobong, who had at one time chaired the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Leah, a long-time community mobiliser, said residents themselves approached her and urged her to vie for the seat.
But her win did not last. Top local officials of the Jubilee Party, mostly men in a deeply patriarchal society, left her to fend for herself, denied her a party ticket to defend her seat, and even campaigned against her. Leah had to withdraw from the race at the 11th hour.
Lodwar Township Ward electorate made sure the county did not lose its only seat held by an elected woman. In 2022, they elected Ruth Kuya on a United Democratic Alliance ticket. It was not an easy win. Patriarchy remains deeply rooted in Turkana, with power still held by men through cultural norms and customs that favour them and shut women out of opportunity. Ruth garnered 2,611 votes against a field of more than 10 male candidates. She says her victory came down to the trust that men, both from Turkana and other communities in the county, placed in her, and she promised to serve everyone, men and women alike, without bias.
Elsewhere, the road has been harder. Jane Apetet, running on a Safina Party ticket, and two-term Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor of Jubilee both lost their bids for the Senate and the Turkana Central parliamentary seat, respectively.
With Jane and Joyce yet to show interest in the next election, it is Ruth and two new, younger entrants, Dr Leah Lokala and Sylvia Lapur, who are now carrying the torch for the Turkana Central parliamentary and Senate seats. All are determined to take on the deep cultural, financial and structural barriers that have long held women back from elective office.
Leah, currently the County Executive for Education, Sports and Social Protection, and Sylvia are both building networks of women supporters through business groups, churches and remote villages, and reaching out to the youth and the elderly alike.
Bonga na Bro
In her current docket, Leah has been backing sporting activities, among them a recent youth tournament organised by the Bonga na Bro Initiative at the Bishop Mahon Field in Nakwamekwi village on the outskirts of Lodwar town.
“As a passionate champion for youth empowerment, nothing fulfils me more than seeing our young people utilise their energy and talents constructively. Sport is more than just a game; it is a powerful tool for social cohesion, mental wellness and economic empowerment. Through my docket, we remain fully committed to identifying, nurturing and supporting grassroots talent across our county. We want to ensure every young person with a dream and a ball has a clear pathway to success," she said.
Dr Leah Lokala, who has declared her interest in the Turkana Central parliamentary seat.
Leah is also pushing economic empowerment programmes for women, and says the future of Turkana Central depends on creating real spaces for women to lead, thrive and achieve economic independence. "When our mothers and sisters succeed, our entire constituency moves forward,” she said.
Meeting the Apese Keberan and Umoja Stars self-help groups in Methewan village over the weekend to discuss strategic collaboration, Leah, who describes herself as a pioneer of the self-help group movement in Turkana, said that if trusted to serve as Member of Parliament for Turkana Central in 2027, her legislative agenda would be anchored on sustainable economic empowerment, capacity building and community self-reliance.
"Inclusive leadership, youth and women’s empowerment, education and economic growth, as well as sustainable development, will be my top priorities," she said.
Sylvia, for her part, has embraced the typical Turkana woman's appearance and character at public meetings, never leaving behind her striking, colourful beadwork, beaded walking stick and traditional hairstyle. She is banking on that identity to win over both the youth and the traditional women and elders who make up the majority of voters.
Sylvia Lapur, who has joined the race for the Turkana senatorial seat.
"This time round, a woman who has embraced Turkana tradition and is comfortable with its lifestyle must take colourful beadwork to the Senate. I will ensure our elders have a dignified life through regular relief food supplies and necessary support from both the national government and development partners. Youth won't be idle, as they will be nurturing their talents through sporting activities," Sylvia said.
She added she would ensure all schoolchildren have books, and would work to unite locals for sustainable peace and development. “I urge the Turkana electorate to add women into the national political limelight, because as it stands, we only have the woman representative. Kindly, let us have at least two women leaders at the national level. While at the Senate, I will advocate peaceful coexistence along the border with neighbouring pastoral communities by supporting a structured disarmament operation to eliminate illegal guns,” she said.
Armed banditry, Sylvia noted, has hit women hardest, many of them widows who have lost their homes and farms to mass displacement. For women like her and Leah, walking into that reality and still asking Turkana to trust them with power is, in itself, the clearest sign of how far they are willing to go.
