Sabina Chege's dream is valid as Kenya is now ripe for a woman president

Ms Chege dreams of being in the hallowed halls of State House, but only time will prove her worthiness to this lofty position. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

Nominated MP Sabina Chege says she will be Kenya’s first female president. The question is, is Kenya prepared for the historic ascent of a woman to State House? Only 77 nations have had women as heads of state.

As early as 1965, Grace Onyango surmounted entrenched barriers of a male-dominated political arena. She was first elected councillor, mayor and then MP. She again shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman deputy speaker in Parliament. Her indomitable spirit serves as a resplendent beacon, illuminating the path for countless women who dared to venture into the political arena.

The year 1969 witnessed the candidacy of Wambui Otieno for the Langata parliamentary seat. That was the period in which tribalism had eaten into our politics. Wambui encountered the divisive spectre of ethnocentric politics, where her Kikuyu kinsmen issued a disheartening ultimatum: Divorce your Luo husband or relinquish your political aspirations. Wambui chose to remain loyal to her marital vows and paid the price by losing the seat. She later claimed that Parliament would never espouse her had she chosen divorce.

According to parliamentary data and records, only 50 women, representing a paltry 2.7 per cent, had been elected to Kenyan parliament between 1963 and 2013 when affirmative action positions were created to ensure the one-third gender rule. And since then, we still have a low number of elected women in competitive positions.

These statistics and history are a clear testament that it still remains an uphill task for a woman to break through our politics. However, within this adversity, we have stories of resolute women who have gallantly paved the way for others, rendering the dream of a female president within our grasp.

African machismo

In 1997, Prof Wangari Maathai and Charity Ngilu made history as the first women to contest for president in Kenya. Martha Karua joined the contest for the top seat in 2013. Their candidacies are a major win for women in this land of African machismo, dispelling the fallacy that women are ill-suited for the rigours of hardball politics at the presidential level.

Fast forward to 2017, history is made as Kenyans elect three first female governors. Dr Joyce Laboso, Anne Waiguru and Charity Ngilu. Prior to this, the Council of Governors was an exclusive fraternity of 47 men. In the last elections, this number has grown to seven and the council is chaired by Governor Anne Waiguru, elected unanimously.

In 2021, Evans Kidero opted for the Homa Bay gubernatorial race. As a billionaire businessman with a storied history in the corporate and governmental echelons, Kidero was initially perceived as an unstoppable force. Gladys Wanga, in contrast, was a 40-year-old woman with just a decade of political experience as a County MP. She was disadvantaged that she was not born in Homa Bay, and her competitors cited the three first governors to have been elected where they were born, not married. When IEBC announced the results, she had beaten Kidero with an unimaginable margin of over 100,000 votes. An unequivocal testament to the fallibility of the so-called invincibility of men in politics.

Governors Susan Kihika, Fatuma Achani and Kawira Mwangaza also emerged victorious against giant opponents who held key positions. These dynamic women embody living proof that determined women can ascend to the presidency if they so desire.

On performance, Wanga has been named among the best-performing governors, awakening the sleeping Homa Bay towards an endless potential. Kihika is also doing a great job, and so are other female governors who have proved their mettle.

Ms Chege dreams of being in the hallowed halls of State House, but only time will prove her worthiness to this lofty position. What is incontrovertible is that we have demystified the myth that women cannot lead, and our nation is now ripe for a woman president. It may not be Sabina, but her dream might come true through another great Kenyan woman leader.

Mr Agwenge is a big data strategist. [email protected]