Key government leaders, lawmakers, and electoral officials have issued a resounding call to overhaul Kenya’s political landscape, declaring that the constitutional Not More Than Two-Thirds Gender Principle must no longer be treated as a mere token exercise in numerical compliance.
Speaking during a High-Level Policy Dialogue in Nairobi, stakeholders agreed that fulfilling the gender quota requires moving beyond passive headcount targets to dismantling the deep-seated structural barriers that actively hinder female politicians from contesting and winning elective seats.
Nominated Senator Essy Okenyuri emphasized that women across the country have already demonstrated their capability to lead in every other sector of society, making their exclusion from political spaces unjustifiable.
"Across our communities, women are already leading families, business establishments, professional institutions, and grassroots organizations," Senator Okenyuri stated. "They have demonstrated their capacity to lead, make decisions, mobilize communities, and drive development across various sectors. This track record surely warrants them a fair, unhindered opportunity to serve in political leadership."
As the country prepares for the 2027 General Elections, participants emphasized that institutions must execute two critical objectives concurrently: enacting a clear, enforceable statutory framework for the two-thirds gender rule while directly confronting the systemic hurdles facing female contenders.
Tackling Hostile Political Environments
The dialogue identified three major obstacles facing women in the political arena: Unfair Party Nomination Processes: Opaque primary elections that systematically disadvantage female candidates in favor of political insiders.Campaign Resource Disparities: Severe financial constraints that limit women's ability to fund competitive, high-visibility campaigns. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Increasing cyberbullying, digital harassment, and targeted disinformation campaigns aimed at silencing female leaders.Delegates stressed that addressing these threats early is vital to ensuring women can campaign safely and competitively.
A Unified Front Across Government
The forum brought together senior leaders across executive, legislative, and independent offices. Present were Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services Hon. Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) Chairperson Hon. Rehema Jaldesa, and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Dr. Anne Nderitu.
Lawmakers in attendance included Hon. Essy Okenyuri (Nimonated Senator), Hon. Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), Hon. Esther Passaris (Nairobi), Hon. Ruth Odinga (Kisumu), Hon. Beatrice Akinyi (Nominated), and Hon. Suleka Harun (Nominated).
The dialogue concluded with a unanimous pledge from key institutions to act decisively and collaboratively well ahead of the 2027 election cycle to ensure the constitutional promise of fair representation moves from principle to practice.
