VETERAN POLITICIANS IN THE GUSII COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO MENTOR UPCOMING WOMEN AND YOUTHS

By Elizabeth Angira

Worth Noting:

• She appealed to members of parliament to amend the Law to allow women and youths who vie for elective seats to be given a priority during party nominations to parliament, Senate and County Assemblies to realize their political ambitions.
• The Secretary noted the leaders who lose in elections and are nominated will save money and contest for the seats in subsequent elections unlike those who had not political ambitions but were nominated due to loyalty to the party.
• She noted the majority of youth and women, feared to vie for elective seats due to lack of money to finance their campaigns unlike established politicians competing for the same seats.

Veteran politicians in the Gusii community have been asked to mentor upcoming women and youths who venture into politics and support them win elective seats to take up their mantle once they quit active politics or lose the seats.

Gusii Governance Watch Civil Society Organization ( CSO)  Secretary, Otundo also appealed to women and youths to join political parties and seek elective seats to enable them win the seats to exploit their leadership potential.

Succession politics in the area, noted the official, was a challenge given that few youths and women are willing to plunge into politics, leaving the field to be dominated by veterans.

“We want leaders to mentor others so that they can shine in local and national politics to fight for the interest of the community to benefit from the national cake”  She said.

She appealed to members of parliament to amend the Law to allow women and youths who vie for elective seats to be given a priority during party nominations to parliament, Senate and County Assemblies to realize their political ambitions.

The Secretary noted the leaders who lose in elections and are nominated will save money and contest for the seats in subsequent elections unlike those who had not political ambitions but were nominated due to loyalty to the party.

She noted the majority of youth and women, feared to vie for elective seats due to lack of money to finance their campaigns unlike established politicians competing for the same seats.

“ It is unfortunate that voters shun leaders with good qualities and elect those who entice them with money only to regret after they have elected the latter” noted Otundo

Kisii County, noted the official elected one woman to the County Assembly out of 44 elected male Members of the Assembly, stressing political parties have nominated 23 women for gender top up and 3 male Living with Disabilities.

“The culture of patriarchal dominance has affected our community politically and is not auguring well for our political development, leadership and governance” the official noted.

The county government noted the official was paying nominees millions of shillings salaries and allowances which, she stressed, could have been saved for other development activities if residents voted a third for either gender to meet the constitutional threshold.

Members of the Assembly are expected to be sworn in on Thursday amid a stiff competition by various aspirants eying the Speaker’s seat to replace David Kombo.