Kenyans have elected a record number of women to positions of power in this month’s polls, with the list including seven governors, three senators and 26 MPs, in a step towards gender equality.
The East African nation has long struggled to get women into politics, with men accounting for the overwhelming majority of elected officials and female politicians largely consigned to serving as one of Kenya’s 47 women representatives.
But the August 9 elections marked a breakthrough for female politicians.
In the populous Rift Valley town of Nakuru for instance, female candidates were elected to eight positions, including governor, senator and woman representative — with Susan Kihika, Tabitha Karanja and Liza Chelule claiming those victories.
“Now sit and watch and see what women can do in office,” said newly elected senator Karanja, who runs Kenya’s second largest brewery Keroche Breweries Ltd.
Governor-elect Kihika thanked the voters of Nakuru “for being progressive and electing three women to the leadership of this county”.
All three women belong to president-elect William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance party, with the country’s incoming leader hailing their wins.
“We celebrate the many women who have broken barriers to climb the political ladder. Best wishes as you embark on your new responsibilities,” Ruto said on Twitter on Saturday as results trickled in.
Linet Chepkorir, 24, became the youngest female parliamentarian in Kenya’s history following her election as woman representative in the Rift Valley county of Bomet, barely a year after she graduated from university.
About 22.1 million voters were registered in a population of around 50 million. Nearly 40 percent of voters, or 8.8 million, are aged between 18 and 34, a drop since the last poll but still attesting to a vibrant youth contingent.
But observers say the record victories will likely embolden more women to enter the political fray and strengthen the push for gender parity.
