By Robert Nyasato
I long for the time of formidable women leaders.
Those who commanded attention on stage with their powerful presence. Females who addressed Kenyan issues with remarkable precision, discussing policies, budgets, and inequities without relying on gender as a crutch or advantage. Their reasoning served as their protection.
They weren’t chosen for visibility; they were voted in for their strengthwomen who directly challenged male counterparts in electoral battles across constituencies and secured victories through ideas, determination, and diligent campaigning.
That period endured sufficiently to mold a politically aware generation, yet it appears to be declining precisely as Kenya has invested substantially in affirmative measures: county assembly nominations, Women Representative positions, party lists, and the two-thirds gender rule.
The examples remain vivid in public consciousness: Martha Karua, the “Iron Lady,” confronting presidents without hesitation; Charity Ngilu, who pursued presidential aspirations in 1997 and administered departments with unwavering determination; Catherine Nyamato, who brought the concerns of Gusii women to national forums with unambiguous clarity.
While Nyamato gained entry to Parliament through nomination, she had previously waged a determined campaign for the West Mugirango parliamentary seat, even forcing President Moi’s political apparatus to recognize her through a KANU nomination.
Others include: Phoebe Asiyo, Wangari Maathai, Grace Onyangowomen who didn’t request positions at the decision-making table; they established their own and included the entire nation. They established the standard, direction, and excellence.
Regrettably, women with such political fortitude have become increasingly scarce in the current political landscape. The passion has subsided. Too many have exchanged the competitive political arena for the security of reserved positions.
Audacity has given way to prudence, principles to favor-seeking, and national perspective to local ceremonial roles.
Martha Karua.
The circumstances are even more pronounced in conservative societies like the Abagusii of Western Kenya, where six decades post-independence, no woman has secured an openly elected positionMP, Senator, or Governor. Not a single one. The terrain remains challenging, the cultural landscape remains unchanged, and authority predominantly male.
The affirmative positions established under the 2010 ConstitutionWoman Representative, nominated MCAs, and nominated Senatorswere intended as stepping stones, not permanent placements. They were conceived as mechanisms for empowerment, visibility, and experience, preparing women to compete on equal terms with men in unrestricted political competitions.
However, many recipients have strayed from this purpose. Rather than utilizing these roles as transitional opportunities, some hold onto them continuously, treating them as permanent rights rather than temporary advantages.
They don’t consistently develop successors. They seldom vacate these positions to run for MP or Governor, leaving minimal space for the upcoming generation of women to advance. The ladder, in numerous instances, seems retracted after the initial climbers reached the top.
Consequently, the era of formidable women leaders diminishesnot due to society’s loss of faith in them, but because the system intended to increase their numbers has effectively limited them.
What is absent is not only their bravery. It is the standard they established: that leadership must be merited, not allocated; that equality must be actualized, not merely demonstrated.