- The women hailed the nomination of Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Suba North Millie Odhiambo for Minority Leader and Whip positions respectively.
- Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said having women at decision making organs would entrench gender balance.
Image: HANDOUT
Women leaders in Azimio have urged ODM to give Gladys Wanga one of the deputy party leader slots that were left vacant by Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, the women further hailed the nomination of Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Suba North Millie Odhiambo for Minority Leader and Whip positions respectively.
“We want the boys club to have a woman in it. We want to add women in leadership at the top level of every decision-making component of political parties, Parliament, Executive,” Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda said.
Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said having women in decision-making organs would entrench gender balance.
Azimio women back Wanga for ODM deputy party leader
“We want the top leadership in ODM to also include a woman. She will be able to speak on behalf or represent affirmative groups well,” she explained.
Lesuuda said Azimio women are happy for the nomination of Mohamed and Odhiambo for the positions.
“As a friend of the ODM party, I look forward to Gladys Wanga securing a seat at the top arm of the party soon,” Lesuuda, who was elected MP on a Kanu ticket said.
Women leaders in Homa Bay County want the ODM leadership to make Wanga the next deputy party leader.
The appeal comes after the exit of former deputy party leaders Joho and Oparanya to take up government jobs as Cabinet Secretaries.
The women have told the party leadership to support Wanga, who is the Homa Bay governor, in becoming the deputy ODM leader regardless of the method they are going to use in filling vacant positions left by Oparanya and Joho.
The nomination of Mohammed and Odhiambo was announced by ODM on Tuesday.
The party said the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance coalition endorsed the appointment of the two.
"The Azimio PG meeting has unanimously endorsed the proposals from The ODM party to appoint Junet Mohamed and Hon Millie Odhiambo as the new Minority Leader and Whip in the National Assembly respectively," ODM said on X.
The Orange party proposed Junet to take up the position of Minority Leader in the National Assembly last week.
The position was vacated by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi upon nomination by President William Ruto as Energy Cabinet Secretary.
Junet has been the Minority Whip.