Machakos County has joined Nakuru to be the first counties to elect women in the top three positions since the implementation of the devolved governments.
The county’s next government will comprise Governor Wavinya Ndeti, Senator Agnes Kavindu and Woman Representative Joyce Kamene Kasimbi.
Ms. Ndeti who is the former Transport and Infrastructure Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) was on Saturday morning announced the Machakos governor-elect after garnering 226,609 votes under a Wiper Party ticket.
CCU’s Nzioka Waita got 129,181 votes while Johnstone Muthama of UDA came in third at 37,980 votes.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kavindu of the Wiper Party successfully defended her senatorial seat with 155,883 votes after Urbanus Mutunga Muthama, who vied on an ODM ticket managed only 65,606 votes.
Woman Representative-elect Joyce Kamene Kasimbi also retained her seat, having bagged 253,106 votes out of the 413,875 votes cast.
The county will, however, have a male deputy governor, Mr. Francis Mwangangi. All the eight constituencies in the county also have an all-male cohort of MPs.
In Nakuru, the three top elective posts in the county will also be occupied by women; Governor Susan Kihika, Senator Tabitha Karanja, and Woman Rep Liza Chelule.
Ms. Kihika was contesting under a UDA ticket and garnered 440,707 votes, edging her closest competitor and incumbent Governor Lee Kinyanjui who managed to get 225,623 votes.
Senator-elect Karanja likewise floored her closest rival, Jubilee’s Lawrence Karanja to win the Senator seat, after attaining 442,864 votes compared to Karanja’s 163,625 votes.
Although Nakuru’s next government will have a man as deputy governor (David Kones) it does not end there for female leaders.
Of the county’s eleven constituencies, four will be headed by female MPs. These are Charity Kathambi (Njoro), Martha Wangari (Gilgil), Irene Njoki (Bahati), and Jayne Kihara (Naivasha).
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says the number of registered female voters currently stands at 49%.
Additionally, women constitute 50.5% of the population, according to the 2019 census.
Very few female leaders, however, hold actual elective positions in Kenya in spite of the government introducing a constitutionally mandated gender quota rule in 2010 in a bid to tone down male dominance in positions of power.
Anne Waiguru, Charity Ngilu and the late Joyce Laboso became the first women to be elected county governors in 2017.
In the outgoing parliament, only 23% of seats were held by women.
Source-https://citizen.digital/
History As Machakos & Nakuru Elect Women In Top Three Positions
