By Trina Chebaibai
Homa Bay county can be argued as one of the leading counties in Kenya where women have dominated in the political landscape.
The National Gender and Equality Commission said Kenyans elected 30 female MPs, up from 23 in 2017, seven female governors, up from three in 2017, and three female senators, the same number as in 2017
Homa Bay county accounted for 10 percent of the total number of 30 female MPs elected during the last general election with Kisumu county producing one elected female MP.
The rest of 90 percent was shared by the other 46 remaining counties while Siaya, Nyamira, Kisii and Migori produced no female MP and have for decades maintained the status quo.
But Homa Bay county has been writing her story for decades in promoting female/ women to elective positions in the country.
To break the jinx from a patriarchal controlled men political landscape in Homa Bay was former Karachuonyo MP Mama Phoebe Asiyo .
Mama Asiyo dethroned then powerful Kanu luminary, the late Okiki Amayo in one of the fiercest political contests in the country to open the doors to women from the region to take up elective positions.
And following her step is the first elected woman Governor from Western Kenya, Mrs. Gladys Nyasuna Wanga.
Wanga broke the barrier to win the hotly contested gubernatorial elections against former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero.
Apart from Wanga, Homa Bay has three elected members of parliament serving their fourth and second terms respectively in Millie Odhiambo Suba south, Eva Obara(Kabondo) and Dr Lillian Gogo (Rangwe).
This gives, the women in leadership to occupy 40 percent of the elective post out of the eight constituencies in the county.
But while Homa Bay county is receptive to women leadership other counties in Nyanza namely Siaya, Migori, Kisumu, Nyamira and Kisii have relegated women to the political periphery.
Historically, Nyanza pioneered in producing women in elective leadership with Kisumu producing the first female Kenya mayor the late Grace Onyango in 1965-1969,
Onyango was also the first female member of parliament in post-independence after she was elected to represent Kisumu Town constituency in 1969.
Onyango was the first woman to sit in the speaker’s chair as temporary deputy speaker and served as deputy speaker from 1979-1984.
Similarly, respected author, nurse and journalist, the late Grace Ogot was the Gem MP and the first and only elected member of parliament from Siaya County.
Equally, Mama Phoebe Asiyo was the MP for Karachuonyo and the first woman legislator from Homa Bay county and through her mentorship various and several women have risen to elective positions in the county.
Mama Phoebe became the first woman to be elevated to a Luo elder for her efforts to promote education for girls, women rights, and gender equality in Kenya.
Mama Asiyo says Homa Bay county has been able to produce more women MPs because of the liberal and accommodative nature of the politics in the region.
“We were able to break the traditional customs that undermined women in leadership and through continues engagement we have been able to have more women in leadership in Homa Bay,’ she says.
Mama Asiyo as a role model to majority of women , she has been able to intervene and support them across the political bridges and that is why we have witnessed upsurge in number of women seeking political offices.
Ms. Sella Ayimba a parliamentary contestant for Siaya Women Representative in the last general elections says some counties are rigid and do not allow women in leadership.
“In these counties, they are driven by male chauvinist tendencies where they view women to only procreation and not leadership,’ she says.
Sella says politics is such a big investment and, in most cases, women are disadvantaged and lack resources to mount meaningful campaigns and thus become more of voters in the exercise.
“In the last general elections some women and men would ask me why I was not married. So to some electorates one can only hold elective position when she is married and this scare majority from participating in elections,” she argues.
Dr Otieno Obondi says Homa Bay is still more of a traditional set up where the Luo cultural practices are still intact and being practiced ranging from farming and to other rights.
“Tn Homa Bay county, women are mostly playing lead roles in farming and other cultural practices and these exposes their leadership traits and that is why they are easily electable ,” he argues.
Dr Otieno says women from the region have acquired the virtue of humility, down to earth and simple in their presentations unlike those from say Kisumu City who are sophisticated and complicated and hardly fits within the village social realms.
“Our women from Kisumu County are sophisticated and hardly participate in local activities. They are viewed as strangers and subsequently become unelectable in a male-dominated contests, ’he says.
University Scholar Prpf G Nyotumba says ODM party leader Raila Odinga policy of supporting women in politics has sync with the residents of Homa Bay but has been rejected in other counties.
“All these women leaders have won the seats because of the support of Raila. Some have performed well in their mandate while others have been dismal,” he says.
But cultural and traditional beliefs have negated ambition of various women from Kisii, Nyamira, Migori and Siaya from occupying the seats.
And it may be a tall order in the future with the exit on Raila in the national politics for most of the women MPs and aspiring to reclaim and acquire the seats.
