Source: SABAHI
When Kyambi Kavali, 52, first declared an interest in vying for the Mwingi North parliamentary seat in March 2012, the reception was worse than she expected.

She said elders from Mwingi North tried to talk her out of running because she was a woman.

"After I did not lose my resolve, another set of the elders came to my house and told me not to go for the parliamentary seat, but instead to opt for a women representative seat," she told Sabahi. "To them, a parliamentary seat is for a man and my resolve was challenging the stereotypes and annoying the men."

After turning down their proposal, she laid out her campaign strategy, hosting rallies around her constituency. A month later, her car was stolen by what she thought were common criminals, but after a second car was stolen two weeks later, she began to question who was behind it.

"At first what was happening did not click with me, but later it dawned on me [that they] were not ordinary thefts but a tactic to scare me away from my political expedition," she said, adding that the thefts were followed by open intimidation and insults. "I received numerous threatening messages. My campaigns were marked with heckling that my male counterparts never faced. I reported all this to authorities, but nothing much was done."

Despite her efforts, she says she lost the nomination due to irregularities in the primary.

Parliamentarian Margaret Wanjiru said when she plunged into politics in 2006 to contest the Starehe constituency seat, she also faced strong resistance, including instances where people stoned her campaign motorcade.

Although there has been some progress since she first ran for office, she said little has been done to guarantee women politicians' security.

"I have had to stand up to abuses, prejudice and even incitement directed against me," she told Sabahi, adding that she has hired youths to provide security at her events to keep her staffers safe.

Wanjiru called on female political aspirants to forge a partnership to overcome the challenges they face.

"As we talk, the environment for women in the political field is hostile, giving undue advantage to their male counterparts," National Gender and Equality Commission chairperson Winnie Lichuma told Sabahi. "The violence against them is both physical and psychological."

These acts will have negative effects on democracy and gender equality if they persist, she said, calling on political parties to provide security for female candidates on their tickets.

"We are carrying out investigations of numerous complaints from female aspirants, ranging from hooligans disrupting their rallies to being threatened to abandon their quest or be killed," she said. "These threats even extend to female candidates' supporters."

Police step up security for women candidates

Acting police spokesman Charles Owino said police officials have instructed local police commanders to pay special attention to the security of women candidates.

"It is not only outdated, but also a crime to use threats, abuse or violence against women aspirants the same way it is to use violence to intimidate others to support or not to support a particular candidate," he told Sabahi.

Owino said more security officers have been deployed to guard female aspirants, and urged candidates to report abuse or harassment so police can pursue the perpetrators.

"We have also advised female candidates to seek additional security from police posts in their respective areas before they attend rallies. Our [aim] is to give everyone a level playing field and our sole goal is to make everyone feel safe when campaigning," he said.

"[Women] should be free to campaign, and we are on lookout for trouble makers," he said.

 

• 

  Prime Minister Raila Odinga attends a Sunday service with Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, a parliamentarian who says she has faced attacks for being a woman politician. [Tony Karumba/AFP]

• Kenya