How post-election grief changed my view of politics
Elizabeth Kisyang’a. She unsuccessfully ran for Machakos woman representative in the August 9 poll, on the Empowerment and Liberation Party ticket.
What you need to know:
- Elizabeth Kisyang’a says she was sure of getting nominated to the Senate after investing ‘financially, physically and emotionally’ in the 2017 election campaigns, only to be overlooked.
- The slot was given to someone else. She soon became depressed and was lucky to overcome the feeling
After campaigning with zeal and zest for a political party in the 2017 General Election, Elizabeth Kisyang'a was sure of one thing – being nominated to the Senate.
But things did not go the way she had planned as someone else was picked for the slot.
“I went into a terrible depression because I had heavily invested financially, physically and emotionally in the campaigns,” says Ms Kisyang’a.
In the August 9 General Election, she decided to dream bigger and vied for Machakos woman representative on the Empowerment and Liberation Party ticket. Unfortunately, she lost to the incumbent, Ms Joyce Kamene.
“This time round, my skin was thicker. I didn’t get depressed. I just said to myself ‘I shall live to fight another day’ and moved on,” she says.
She blames the propaganda around her young age for the loss.
“Some of my competitors were spreading propaganda that the woman representative seat is for mature women and not ‘girls’. Some of those propaganda messages were sent to my mobile phone via WhatsApp, urging me to pull out of the race. I felt harassed because I’m an adult with a national identity card,” she recalls.
Lessons
But the loss has left Ms Kisyang’a with many lessons, which she hopes to leverage to clinch the seat in 2027.
She has learnt that in politics there is no neutral ground – either you win or lose – and one should always be prepared for the worst outcome.
“Thriving on politics needs one to become a natural giver and be ready to spend millions of shillings. But still, splashing cash on campaigns is not a guarantee that you will win; one must have plan ‘B’ in case of a loss,” she advises those planning to join elective politics.
Ms Kisyang’a says that a serious aspirant should start campaigns at least two years to the election “so that the electorate can get to know you better”.
Unlike Ms Kisyang’a, who has developed resilience, some women leave politics after losing a single election. For instance, there is a likelihood that most of the 196 women who unsuccessfully vied for the seat of member of the National Assembly in the August 9 election will not throw their hat in the ring once again come 2027.
And to ensure that women who lost in last polls do not throw in the towel, the office of the Registrar of Political Parties has initiated counselling forums to help them not only develop resilience but also prepare for the next elections.
Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu says that female poll losers emerge from elections with more bruises than their male counterparts.
In the August elections, Ms Nderitu says, although incidents of physical violence against women were minimal because most political parties adopted consensus in their nominations, cases of cyberbullying were increased 2017.
Female candidates were battling with propaganda spread online, including body-shaming and malicious questions about their marital status, Ms Nderitu says.
“Losing an election is not easy; some people resigned from their jobs to vie. Some use all their savings and even sell family properties to fund their campaigns,” she says.
“We have realised most losers end up in depression because there is no one to support them to cope with the loss and even prepare them for the next elections. Some of the candidates mourn the loss for years to the extent that they fail to prepare for the next elections.”
According to the registrar, the country can only achieve the elusive two-thirds gender rule in the National Assembly and the Senate by ensuring that the number of female candidates matches or surpasses that of men.
“In the August 9 election, there was no woman who vied for member of the National Assembly in 138 constituencies. This trend could continue if we don’t mentor those who lose so that they can try again in 2027 together with new entrants,” she says.
During the forums, the poll losers are joined by those who won to encourage them.
“We usually invite trained counsellors from the Ministry of Public Service to share with women on some of the coping mechanisms and how to move on,” Ms Nderitu says.
In the forums, women are taught how to communicate to the electorate, articulate issues, especially in the media, and identify political allies early enough before the elections.
Ms Nderitu says that over 200 women who participated in the last general election and lost have been counselled through the forums.
Some of the common challenges facing women candidates shared in those forums include lack of adequate finances, cyberbullying and cultural stereotypes against women leadership.
Hurdles
She says limited funds make it impossible to organise those forums outside Nairobi, especially in counties where communities are still reluctant to entrust women with leadership positions.
“We are appealing to donor communities to support such programmes because what happens between electoral cycles is very important,” she says.
Ms Nderitu advises women to seek leadership positions through political parties.
“We did a survey and discovered that it is harder for independent female candidates to win than it is for men. This is because the requirements for independent candidates are stringent as compared to those who are vying using political parties.
“For instance, independent candidates are required to present signatures of voters to be cleared. Collecting signatures requires money,” she says.
She also advises women in political parties to strengthen their leagues and use them to amplify their voice on various issues.
