Sex, power, and influence: Millie Odhiambo's new book reveals gender dynamics in Kenyan politics

The book Rig or Be Rigged by your favorite bad girl of Parliament Millie Odhiambo has just hit the shelves and is already sending shock waves within and outside Kenya. There is a page where Millie talks about Kugongewa at Parliament offices. Those tables do not only produce laws that govern the country but also facilitate quick underground trips to aquifers whose owners are compromised by some kind of need. She says that pipes are being laid by male plumbers every so often before advancing favours to our gender. She says the season of party nominations is a high season for harvesting needy women that are desperate to be called Waheshimiwa.

I guess elections for the bigwigs is like the peak seasons in the tourism industry. In essence, what that page in the book says is that women can use the same method to influence decisions at all levels and it works. Of course the voter in Kenya is a robot used by the parties to rubber stamp what the male influencers have approved horizontally and blessed accordingly.

Vulnerable men

To make it to that level of qualification in politics requires a fitness of some given level. Apparently, there is a lot of table gymnastics at Parliament Buildings ahead of the issuance of certificates by parties and or appointments to plum jobs. But that level of blunt honesty and insight by the fiery legislator from the lake has put into perspective a stubborn fact that we are working hard to overcome - the fact that we are more powerful without clothes than with them. As women it is the perfect double aged sword – it is both a honor to the power vested on our gender by nature but also a gross insult to our integrity and abilities as people.

You see, men should actually be protected against decisions they make when intoxicated, or when facing a naked woman, even if that woman is his lawfully wedded wife. Those are moments of vulnerability that should be recognized by the laws of the land and accorded the kind of recall provision that they deserve. Clothless scenarios are a complex blend of scientific hormonal peaks and seductive art that leaves a messy patch of emotions and skewed favours apportioned by the plumber.

Men have signed wills under such circumstances that they have clue about only to regret later. The saddest part is the fact that once the chapter is closed, the men cannot talk about their exploits proudly or even imply that that such heroic moments happen at Bunge house. Similarly, they cannot go public to express regret or even attempt to rescind such decisions.

Instead, it is the beneficiaries or their gender like the author of Rig or Be Rigged that have the audacity to spill the grains knowing very well that society does not judge a woman harshly whether she is a bad or good girl. In the next life, women will still apply to be women again because it is a win-win for us always. While it is important to underscore that where sex is used to address a need it is not qualified as body count or prostitution but as exploitation. On this premise even married women who unfortunately find themselves in these vulnerable situations do not count it as cheating because they consider the offer as forced transaction that comes with no fun to their heart of physique.

The begging question is whether there will ever be a genuine balance in measuring how much effort women and men have to put towards the same course when men have insatiable need for sex while women control it.Whether a woman gets woed or woos a man to bed, is neither here nor there because the man is expected to take responsibility.The fact that the woman is of sound mind, is above 18 and was under no influence of alcohol at the time of being explored remains irrelevant in the public court. Men are expected to take responsibility for decisions even jointly taken by two grown besides using their powers and positions to extend irregular favour.