‘People ask where my husband is’

The market is busy in Nakuru, a large city in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Loudly chattering, Damaris and her friend Ayaan maneuver through the crowd, which moves past the market stalls. The elections may have been held a few weeks ago, but from poles, walls and even trees the duo is still smiled at by faces of politicians on election posters. What is immediately noticeable: many of them are women.

‘These are the Nakuru Girls’, says Damaris, visibly proud of the women in regional politics she also voted for. Nowhere in Kenya have so many women been elected as here, in all layers of the district. ‘The man may be the head of the family,’ says Damaris, ‘but we women are the neck. We are talking about the movement of the head. I think women can use their maternal qualities in politics.’

Representatives

In the restaurant of the somewhat dated Merica Hotel, in the center of the city, six of those ‘Nakuru Girls’, a nickname invented by the media, have come together. ‘Although we represent different political movements, we work together,’ says Grace Mwathi.

All the women at the table are MCAs, representatives of the Nakuru District Regional Assembly. While Mwathi, who is part of President William Ruto’s UDA party, campaigned for better health care and education, Virginia Gichanga champions the rights of workers at flower farms in Naivasha. ‘We know all the women in our own districts,’ says Gichinga, ‘and ensure that their wishes are included in our legislation.’

Women, says Mwathi, do not always dare to knock on the door of male politicians. ‘Certainly if they have money worries, they are very vulnerable. That is why women are needed in regional politics.’

Obstacles

Yet it remains the case that far fewer women than men are running for election. One of the reasons, according to election observers, is that it is much more difficult for women to raise the money for a political campaign. In addition, female candidates are intimidated on a large scale. Isabella Makori, an independent MCA who says she wants to stand up for farmers in her district, has had bad experiences. “You are immediately called a prostitute,” she says. “People ask where my husband is. They say I have to be home to cook for my children.’

It does not stop at insults, according to political analyst Nerima Wako. “This election period, many women have been attacked physically and mentally. And although there is still plenty of research into the extent of the problems, I can already say that many women have not made a report. So whatever the outcome of that research, the scale of the problem is much bigger.’

Progress

Nevertheless, Wako sees that steps have indeed been taken – also at a national level. Thirty of the 349 directly elected MPs are now women, seven more than before. Including the 47 seats reserved for women, there are now a total of 77 women in Kenya’s parliament. The number of female governors has also increased from three to seven, out of a total of 47 governors at the national level. “That’s a huge gain,” says Wako. “It shows that young women can go far.”

“We are happy to see more female governors,” said political analyst Steve Biko, “even if they are not superior to men.” According to Biko, there is no significant improvement in the districts run by women. ‘Not even in the field of health care for mothers and children, or infant mortality. While it is the women who take care of the children.’

Better leaders

However, the six women in the Merica Hotel are confident that their district will thrive under female leadership. “We’ve learned that we can fight for our place,” explains Grace Mwathi, “and that leadership has nothing to do with gender. There is a saying that behind every man is a strong woman. We are those women!’ She smiles. ‘When I see a man who looks neat, I don’t see that man, but his wife. We are the ones who iron their shirts. If I can manage him, why not the constituency?’

In the rest of the country, the Nakuru Girls are closely followed, says political analyst Nerima Wako. “Only if they do well will more women be elected in the next election,” Wako said. Member of Parliament Makori feels that pressure. ‘We women have to work twice or three times as hard and smart. That way we can prove that women are much better at leading than men.’