Women leaders and political aspirants in Siaya County have raised a stern warning against the continued marginalization of female politicians in key decision-making processes, demanding direct affirmative action from major political parties ahead of upcoming elections.
Speaking in Siaya town during the Siaya Women’s Forum, leaders decried the persistent exclusion of women from major elective seat negotiations, warning that the county risks falling further behind in fulfilling the constitutional two-thirds gender rule.
Schorlastica Madowo, Member of the County Assembly (MCA) for South East Alego Ward and Chairperson of the Siaya County Assembly Women Caucus, called out political party leadership for neglecting women candidates during high-level party negotiations.
”As I look at the political landscape in Siaya as a whole, I get a bit concerned that in all these negotiations taking place for political slots, women are not featuring anywhere,” Hon. Madowo stated. “That means Siaya will continue to remain behind in terms of attaining the two-thirds gender rule. We have been behind all four counties of Nyanza.”
Madowo specifically appealed to the leadership of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party to ensure women are brought to the negotiation table, proposing a mandatory formula where executive seats are shared between genders.
”It is just fair in this age and time that where the governor is a man, the deputy has got to be a woman. That is the minimum that the women of Siaya are asking for,” she added.
She further urged women voters across the region to leverage their numerical strength during elections. “If we are not at the table, then we are withholding our votes,” she asserted.
Adding her voice to the forum, political aspirant Lilian Onyango highlighted the prohibitive financial costs of running political campaigns in Kenya as a primary barrier keeping qualified women away from elective positions.
”As women, what hinders us from getting into politics? One: we lack funds,” Anyango explained. “In politics, it is believed that for you to be out there and get that particular seat, you have to be moneyed enough. Women believe in growth and assisting others, and we can’t always do this through money.”
Ms. Onyango also addressed the rising trend of political violence and “goonism,” which she noted creates an unsafe environment for women and damages the broader community.
”As a mother, this is a style of politics I won’t support at any given time,” Ms. Onyango noted. “We should discourage the inclusivity of goons in any kind of act that we do in politics. It is really discouraging, damaging our country, and affecting the upcoming generation.”
The forum participants collectively urged political parties to institute structured support mechanisms for women, emphasizing that traditional playing fields remain unlevel.
The leaders recalled the supportive environment fostered by past party leadership, calling on current party officials to emulate those efforts by offering practical backing, safety, and nomination tickets to capable female candidates across all electoral levels.
Addressing the forum on behalf of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kennedy Kogutu, the Returning Officer for Alego Usonga, reassured participants of the electoral body’s commitment to ensuring a level playing field.
Kogutu urged prospective candidates to declare their intentions early and decide whether to run on party tickets or as independents to allow adequate strategic planning.
He also reminded the public that continuous voter registration remains open at IEBC sub-county offices, encouraging women to register in large numbers to build leverage ahead of the 2027 General Election.
