- Nderitu said women have the potential of getting more leadership positions if only they took the campaigns more seriously and are well aware of the electoral process like men.
- From her observation, women running for political offices tend to start their campaign and registration into parties just when the main election day is close by.
Image: LEAH MUKANGAI
Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu has said women do not prepare adequately during election campaign season to run for political offices.
Nderitu said this is among the factors that hinder the actualisation of the two-thirds gender parity rule.
The gender parity was envisioned in the 2010 constitution, which sought that there be no more than two-thirds of members in elective and appointive positions being of the same sex.
The constitution in Article 27 (8) and Article 81 (b) came with an a affirmative action aimed at reducing the gender inequality in leadership positions.
Though the law protects women's interests in leadership positions and a lot of gains have been made towards achieving gender parity, Nderitu believes women still have a lot to do.
Nderitu said women have the potential of getting more leadership positions if only they took the election campaigns more seriously and are well aware of the electoral process like men.
From her observation, women running for political offices tend to start their campaign and registration into parties just when the main election day is close by.
This, she said, makes their campaign bid weak in the long run.
She spoke on Wednesday in Nairobi during the opening of the two-day 2023 CRAWN trust annual women's rights convention.
"Six months to election, you see a group of women coming to the registry offices. When they come, they are usually clueless about the electoral process and they have not even joined a party," she said.
Nderitu said the women show up to her office six months to elections to 'shop' for a party as they don't know which party they should join.
At times Nderitu advises women to join a certain party then she realises the women don't even know who the secretary general of the party is.
"I request any woman who is seeking to run for a seat in the next election to first familiarise themselves with the legal framework way before the elections," she said.
Nderitu said before the next general election, women seeking positions should ensure they already joined a party and should start working with the party before the poll day.
She was reminiscent that during the nomination of candidates for last year's election, there were women who appeared before the returning officer without a proposer or a seconder, which is a requirement to run for office.
Additionally, Nderitu said as per the records in her office, there are 38 per cent of women and 62 per cent of men in the registered parties in Kenya.
She said there are less women joining political parties yet when it comes to voting, women make up the majority of voters.
"Let us identify the political parties we want to join. Don't say political parties don't accommodate women. Go there and if you face a challenge tell us so that we help you get accommodated," she said.
One factor usually considered as a party is being registered is that it meets the two-thirds gender rule.
"I want to request us as we ponder on the issues that happened during elections let us prepare for the next election early enough," she said.
Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa concurred with Nderitu.
Jumwa said that indeed, women come out to knit their vitenges a few months to the election.
"Anne has said we are not succeeding because some women don't understand the electoral procedure. Men are preparing, they are already out declaring their bids," she said.
"Women are waiting for six months before the material day ndo tunaanze kuja na vitenge. No! We need to prepare early enough and adequately."