By Seline Nyangere
Nairobi, Kenya: Young women in Kenya have taken bold steps to navigate the political space by receiving mentorship and training from the political bigwigs in Kenya. With the help of the Forum for African Women Educationalists, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), and Women in Political Participation (WPP), the young women got a chance to share their political journey with their fellows including the possible ways to tackle politics.
Sumaiyah Omar, one of the youngest women in the Women’s Political Participation mentorship and coaching program revealed that most youths, especially Gen-Z fail to participate in Kenyan politics because of too much gatekeeping from experienced politicians.
“As youths, we do not have enough knowledge of politics. I want to say there is a lot of gatekeeping in politics. Personally, I’m not too fond of the notion that Gen Zs are not actively participating in matters of our country, we are participating when we go looking and find information that was important. It’s not that we do not want to, we participate only that there is a lot of gatekeeping”, said Omar.
The young women called for inclusivity in politics. When women from diverse communities including women with disability receive training and knowledge in politics, they are willing to learn and make use of it. Winnie Kalai, representing persons with disability in Kajiado County said that political knowledge is very important in her community.
“There is that issue of women empowerment, it has come in handy because now women are getting the courage to come out. In our Maasai community, there are some cultural practices that still play out, for a woman to stand as a leader, she needs approval from the community, where you are married including where you is born but with the knowledge we are receiving out here, we are able to handle such practices”, narrated Kalai.
During the mentorship forum with young aspiring political women from different parts of Kenya, Suba North constituency Member of Parliament Honorable Millie Odhiambo advised the young women to take note of 5 five basic things they need to understand before entering the political space.
“You need to understand who you are before you get into politics because politics is a dirty space and unless you are sure who you are it is very easy to be swept by winds of ideology, character, and different activities, so you must be very clear about why you get into politics. You must also know when you want to get into politics because the timing is very important in politics but for the women, we tell them the when is now because our numbers are few and the circumstances have fairly emerged than they were in the past”, echoed Hon Odhiambo.
Odhiambo also encouraged the young women not to shun away from politics since it is not as bad as some people say it is, the most important thing is how you understand the space and be aware of what you are seeking.
“You need to know the what, and this means the office you are seeking and shadow one of the members of parliament in an office in which you are seeking. Politics is not bad, it is a very selfless service, a lot of time you are just a conduit, in my situation I call myself a conduit, I can have a million shilling right now, and by evening it’s all gone, and it’s not because I was drinking but because maybe I am helping a woman who was sick in my constituency or I am helping people in different circumstances” revealed Hon Odhiambo.
For Hon, Odhiambo when a young woman understands the dynamics of politics, because what people see outside politics is not exactly what happens in the background, it is easy to maneuver in it.
“You will come and know the intrigues in politics and you will learn how to manage them, you will learn how to manage the gender dynamics in politics and biasness, you will be learning about feminization and there are certain things that apply to women and certain things that do not apply to men just by virtue” added Hon Odhiambo.
In as much as a young woman might understand the five reasons to join politics, political networking is also key. According to Dagorreti North constituency Member of Parliament, Honorable Beatrice Elachi, were it not for networking, politics would have been a hard space to navigate.
“I reached there because of my networks, I was supported by many people who believed in what I was saying and my dream, so even as you start your journey you must have a network that is your resource, those are the people who will hold your hand, they do not need to give you money but they can give you posters, t-shirts, donations. Don’t think about the money, think about your social resources,” pointed out Hon Elachi.
Elachi also urged young women aspiring to vie for a seat in 2027 to make use of technology and be cautious while using social media platforms.
“The most important thing the young leaders will have to ask themselves is the use of technology because that is what will happen in 2027, technology will be at high and all these things we are talking about might have changed but be sure you must get to know that I need a team that understands me, understands my temperament, how you communicate, learn how to live within your target start looking at your wardrobe, because the skeletons will come up and social media never forgets” added advised Hon Elachi.
The young political women from the 47 counties in Kenya were reminded that leadership is not about the book but the wisdom needed to implement the book.
