By: Davidson Otieno Omondi
There is a ritual that unfolds in millions of Kenyan homes every Sunday. It is the smell of chapati on the pan, the rich aroma of stew simmering for hours. It is a ritual of family and tradition. But if you look closely, with the dispassionate eye of an auditor, this cherished ritual is also a masterclass in the unspoken economics that governs our nation.
The lesson begins in the kitchen. The women of the house have been working for hours, a “labour of love” that is never clocked in. This is not a small, trivial contribution. Globally, UN Women has valued women’s unpaid care work at a staggering $10.8 trillion annually. In Kenya, this translates into a massive, invisible subsidy to our economy. This uncounted labour, as the International Labour Organization (ILO) consistently reports, is the single biggest barrier to women’s full economic participation. It is a direct tax on their time, paid before the meal even begins.
The lesson continues when the food is served. Observe the plates. In many homes, the father, guests, and men are served first, often receiving the choicest portions. This seemingly innocent tradition reflects a harsh national reality. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has repeatedly shown that in times of scarcity, women and girls are the most likely to suffer from “hidden hunger” and nutritional deficiencies, as household resources are often allocated unequally. The unspoken rule at the table—that some appetites are more important than others—is a direct contributor to gendered malnutrition.
The lesson concludes after the meal. The men leave the table, their duty done. The women and girls clear the dishes. This reinforces the “time poverty” that holds women back. UNDP data for sub-Saharan Africa shows women can spend up to 3.4 more hours a day than men on unpaid care work. This is not just time spent on chores; it is time stolen from education, from running a business, from participating in community leadership.
Is it any wonder, then, that this Sunday ritual is a perfect microcosm of our national life? The Nairobi Securities Exchange reports that women hold just 23.5% of board seats. The African Development Bank quantifies a $42 billion financing gap for female entrepreneurs. We are simply re-enacting the unspoken rules of the Sunday meal on a national scale: women do the foundational work, their contributions are undervalued, and they are served last when it comes to power and resources.
The change we need in Kenya does not begin with a new law in Parliament. It begins at our own dining tables. The most revolutionary act a Kenyan man can perform is to serve his wife first and to wash his own plate. These are not small gestures. They are the first steps in correcting a profound economic injustice that begins in our homes and costs our nation its full potential.
By: Davidson Otieno Omondi
Author, The Unfinished Revolution
Student, Rongo University
