Narok gets another woman MP in anti-FGM activist Agnes Pareiyo

Former anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) activist Agnes Pareiyo (pictured) has clinched the Narok North parliamentary seat, making her among the first women from the Maa community to get into elective leadership.

Pareiyo follows in the footsteps of Peris Tobiko, who was elected in 2013 from a community, which is largely patriarchal and where women often struggle to be heard.

She contested the seat on a Jubilee party ticket under the Azimio La Umoja coalition and got 20,028 votes - beating four men aspirants and one woman.

The 66-year-old floored seasoned politicians like Marting ole Kamwaro, who contested as an independent candidate and got 18,852 votes, lawyer Allan ole Meng'ati of ODM got 8,838, while Symon Rotiken, an independent scored 8,136 votes.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Keriumpoti ole Sadera got 9,348 and Rebecca Naanyu of The Service Party (TSP) got 1,537 votes.

Pareiyo, who served as a civil leader in the defunct Narok County Council, was awarded her winner's certificate yesterday by Narok North returning officer Julius Okweta.

She will take over from incumbent MP Moitalel ole Kenta, who contested the governorship on an ODM ticket.

She will serve in a position once occupied by the late William ole Ntimama, the Maasai political supremo, who championed the rights of the Maasai community till his death in September 2016.

Pareiyo, a daughter of a village chief, became an activist after she got married off at the age of 18. She later joined Maendeleo ya Wanawake and became a founder and director of Tasaru Ntomonok Rescue Centre.

She vied in 2013 and 2017 on ODM and Jubilee tickets respectively and lost. This was her third shot at the seat.

[e-mail]