The women jolting a male-dominated Taita governor race

For the first time since the inception of devolution, three women in Taita Taveta are contesting for the county's top seat.

Even as they seek to crack the male-dominated political stage, women remain underrepresented in leadership, countrywide, due to the patriarchal beliefs of most communities.

Despite the high number of women voters, men wield a great influence on deciding the people who are elected.  

In this year's election, Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe, communication expert Patience Nyange and community philanthropist Rachel Mwakazi, have thrown their hats into the ring seeking to end the gender disparity in the political sphere in the county.

Theirs will be a test of women power in an area where only a few women try their luck in politics.

The three contestants have already rolled up their sleeves as they hope to unseat Governor Granton Samboja, who is serving his first term.

In the onset of devolution in the 2013 and 2017 elections, only the former Central Bank of Kenya deputy governor Jacinta Mwatela had tried her stab in the seat.

In 2013, she emerged second in the election that John Mruttu won, and in 2017, she came a distant fifth. In this election, she has remained silent on whether she will vie or not.

The three women who have vowed to fight it out with their male counterparts, are already meeting residents across the county to debunk the gender stereotypes on support for women candidates.

Age and gender

Speaking to nation.africa, Ms Nyange vowed to give a fight despite her age and gender, ahead of the August General Election.

"It is time for my county to stop judging women on their gender and age. A woman is capable of achieving everything a man can do," she said.

She observed that her competitors will not rest easy as she is not shy from spreading her aminia mama (believe a woman) campaign, which advocates for women leadership.

"Some people are still asking whether I will drop my bid or go for the deputy governor position. I want to categorically state that I'm racing to the end," she said.

Apart from meeting the electorates in the grassroots, Ms Nyange has had her team aggressively intensify her campaign on social media.

On February 9, she resigned from her role as a board member at the Media Council of Kenya to seek the elective seat.

On her part, Ms Mwakazi told nation.africa that women can attain political leadership positions if they get support from their communities.

She said women face complex barriers that prevent gender equity in politics including their marital status, character assassination, scrutiny of their dressing and lack of financial muscles to fund their campaigns.

"These barriers can be reduced when citizens, especially the voters believe that women candidates are capable just like men," she said.

Ms Mwakazi returned home after 30 years of living, studying and working in Norway to join politics.

While away, she had been conducting economic empowerment programmes targeting women and young people in rural communities of Voi Sub-county through her ManGo community development organisation.

For Prof Mwang'ombe, the battle ahead does not intimidate her. She says she is ready.

"My call to serve has been pushed by the poverty levels of our people. We have many resources that remain untapped and it's because the people don't have skills to exploit them," she said while addressing a rally in Voi.

Before joining politics, Prof Mwang'ombe served as the principal at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Nairobi.

Ms Nyange is a member of Wiper while Prof Mwang'ombe is in United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Ms Mwakazi is yet to settle on the political formation under which she will vie.

In a separate interview, ODM’s National Organising Secretary for Orange Women Democrats League Anisa Mwakio, urged more women to vie for various political seats in the coming election.

Ms Mwakio said women are capable of clinching top seats and urged them to contest for other seats too, apart from the woman representative position.

Currently, 13 candidates have shown interest to take over the reins by unseating the incumbent governor.

Those who are in the race are former Governor John Mruttu, former senator Dan Mwazo, Youth and Advocacy specialist Stephen Mwakesi, Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime, Faustine Mghendi and advocate Onesmus Mwinzi.

Others are Francis Mwaita, George Mwandembo, Thomas Mwakwida and Elijah Mwandoe.

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