No, Passaris, women are still asleep at the wheel

Nairobi County woman representative Esther Passaris. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Woman Representative Esther Passaris is losing sleep over what she calls gender-based political violence.

Her fears are so grave that she recently summoned a press conference at the Parliament Buildings to accuse DCP boss Rigathi Gachagua of bullying female incumbents and aspirants. In her view, the former DP has ‘something’ against ladies. But having offered no evidence to back her claims, the County MP went for the victimhood card. Nevertheless, she was right that women politicians should be judged on their performance, not personal circumstances or physical attributes. Their challenges, society must admit, are variably unique.

The tragedy is such that objectification of ‘warembo’ in politics isn’t merely theoretical. Recently, for instance, Sirisia MP John Waluke ordered women aspirants to ‘turn round’ so that voters could ‘vet’ them. “We will check your face and how endowed you are,” he said during a rally in Malava. Surprisingly, the women involved played along as the spectacle unfolded!

Something has to give way. For Ms Passaris, she has a knack for unhelpful fights. Not long ago, she clashed with Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara on TV over the 2008 poll chaos. It was reminiscent of her bout with Mr Miguna Miguna on KTN in 2016. How does blaming Ms Kihara on TV deliver justice to victims?

The Nairobi woman rep has also waded into the Linda Mwananchi leaders’ visit to Homa Bay on August 16, which lifted the lid on the sorry state of roads in the county. Yet seemingly underestimating our intelligence, Ms Passaris claimed the roads seen belching dust were undergoing repairs. She went further to declare Governor Gladys Wanga one of the best-performing governors.

That’s where the story gets more interesting! Ms Passaris and other women politicians can’t demand that they be judged on performance and then expect us to suspend our own judgment whenever their performance is rightfully questioned. If Ms Passaris wants to defend women, there’s a bigger battle worth fighting beyond press conferences. That’s persuading more women to compete for the highest offices.

In this century, women don’t need pity even if we lack mechanisms to enforce the two-thirds gender rule. It’s also strange that as she blames Mr Gachagua but spares Mr Waluke, Ms Passaris and her gang are silent about President William Ruto’s pledge that UDA would adopt a gender-balanced running-mate formula. Now that her party ODM, is in the broad-based government, why isn’t she rallying UDA to honour this pledge? This is the right time to pile pressure on Dr Ruto to keep his word.

On March 7, 2024, the president was categorical that in subsequent polls, if UDA fields a man for president, the running mate would be a woman. But just 10 months to next year’s elections, not even Ms Wanga, who chairs ODM, is enthusiastic about going for higher office, not to mention UDA chairperson Cecily Mbarire or even ODM’s underwhelming SG Catherine Omanyo.

Recall how a record seven women governors were elected in 2022 and they formed the ‘G7’ caucus? It’s sad how the ‘G7’ ideals aborted midflight. It’s undeniable that Ms Wanga, Ms Mbarire, Ms Fatuma Achani, Ms Anne Waiguru, Ms Susan Kihika and Ms Wavinya Ndeti had overpromised.

By the way, what soup did Gathoni Wamuchomba take? And where is the ‘miracle’ Bomet Woman Rep Linet Toto? Then there is lawyer Njeri Maina, the Kirinyaga County MP, who’s a promising soul, strangely happy to keep her political ambitions latent. Did we celebrate too soon?

PLP leader Martha Karua (who turned 69 on Tuesday) and former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu’s script is replete with lessons. They didn’t make patriarchy a scapegoat. They didn’t require affirmative action as a crutch to contest the presidency. Today, they have a golden legacy. For Ms Passaris, her legacy may well be the ill-fated attempt to restrict public protests through the Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2025. One of Wanjiku’s questions remains whether the Woman Rep seat or nomination slots occupied by the likes of Senator Karen Nyamu have created equal opportunities or remained a constitutional fishing expedition.

-The writer is a communications practitioner. X:@markoloo