Women Representatives under pressure to fit in former MPs’ shoes

By Silah Koskei and Michael Ollinga

Kenya: Residents of the North Rift region have raised concern over the performance of the current crop of women leaders compared to those in the Tenth Parliament.

They say the leaders are a pale shadow of former MPs Dr Sally Kosgei (Aldai), Jebii Kilimo (Marakwet East), Peris Simam (Eldoret South) and Professor Margaret Kamar (Eldoret East) who lost their seats in the March 4 election.

Dr Kosgei also held the position of Agriculture minister, Prof Kamar, Higher Education while Kilimo was an assistant minister for Coorperatives Development and Marketing.

The former leaders were elected after campaigning on a level ground with their male counterparts unlike the current female MPs who had the opportunity to make it to Parliament through special seats for women in counties.  Six months down the line most women legislators from the region have not made any contribution.

Wider constituencies

Stephen Sorobit from Uasin Gishu County believes women MPs are well placed to handle leadership issues because they command wider constituencies since they were elected at the county level.

He says women legislators should have started addressing issues they identified as a priority during their campaigns; women harassment, misrepresentation, abuse against children and gender equality.

Elgeyo/Marakwet County Women Representative, Dr Susan Chebet however said their performance is evident in terms of women empowerment.

“It will go on record that we fought hard to retain the management of the Uwezo funds at the constituency level so that women and youth are given an opportunity to develop,” she says.

Chebet said she has been traversing her county to sensitise the public on the importance of forming and registering groups to apply and benefit from the funds.

Chebet who is in the parliamentary committee on Education, says they have championed for Sh3 billion to be set aside to cater for sanitary towels for female students.

She is also on the fore front in campaigns to eradicate FGM and other negative cultural practices that have compromised girl child education.

Eusilah Ngeny of Uasin Gishu County said they were settling in relevant house committees before serving their electorate.

Ngeny who is in the parliamentary select committees on Labour and Land said she has been strategising to ensure settling all internally displaced persons and forest evictees succeeds.

Turkana county women representative Joyce Emanikor said their critics should look at what they have done instead of criticising their leadership.