I beg to differ with the contents in the harmonised draft constitution where it reserves 47 seats for women. In my humble opinion, this is belittling the strengths of women.
A level playing field should be nurtured in our national politics where women contest alongside men to win or loose fairly. Women are not feeble or weak.
In fact, men cannot beat women when it comes to lobbying, canvassing, caucusing and finding common grounds on national affairs. Therefore, its high time women are given a chance to fight it out on equal footing with men and not wait to be rewarded on the basis of their gender.
That is why I agree with Mr. Evans Machera’s pregnant points in this forum.
I think if this clause of rewarding women with seats is entrenched in the constitution, it will be a great insult to Kenyan women like Nobel laureate Wangari Mathai, honourables Charity Ngilu, Esther Murugi, Chebii Kilimo and former MPs Dr. Julie Ojiambo, Phoebe Asiyo and Grace Ogot.
Others in the education sector include: Kavetsa Adagala, Professor Maria Nzomo and Eddah Gachukia.
These are few of the Kenyan women who fought it out to be where they are today. They didn’t wait any form of affirmative action to excel in their respective fields; a clear demonstration that irrespective of one’s gender, you can be where and what you want to be.
Kenyan voters are in for good leaders irrespective of their gender. Women are our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters. We cherish and love them dearly. The Country has always given them chances to exhaust their talents even in the current constitution.
In a patriarchal society like ours, women may encounter challenges due to male dominance but they also need to be more aggressive in order to realize their dreams.
The iron lady, Martha Karua has done it by rising to party leadership and she is comfortably positioned to contest for the presidency in 2012. Hillary Clinton fought hard in one of the hotly contested USA primaries. Although she lost, she was appointed by President Barrack Obama as Secretary of State, one of the most coveted cabinet positions in a USA government.
We should be a society that rewards people based on their talent and hard work. All Kenyans irrespective of their gender must be empowered to compete fairly in politics, education, government appointments, and in Business.
That is why I will always be very critical to affirmative action which to me curtails the cultivation of talent, ambition and aiming higher especially on women.
Why should 47 seats be reserved for women if we are prepared as a nation to cultivate meritocracy as a principle for tapping the top cream of our society, if we truly want to transform Kenya’s fragile social, political and economic institutions?
We must desist from comparing Kenya to Rwanda, which has the highest number of women MPs, instead, we must realize that the Country might be lacking articulate men to serve as MPs or women politicians know how to plays their political game.
Joseph Lister Nyaringo
New Jersey, USA
Nyaringo, you wouldn’t have put it better than you did. I am 100% in agreement. I have always held the view that the way affirmative action is upheld in Kenya meant to belittle women and portray them as people who need mercy and favours, and not equal chances. Furthermore, in opinion, such actions are meant to weaken their outlook and performance. Such actions are meant to cement the same culture we as a society are trying to rectify that women are weak than men. As a society, I think it is high time we fought for the elimination of obstacles that hinder women’s performance rather than giving them tokens in form few seats. Why should women and men of goodwill and who wish well for women of this country come out and say it is enough. Through their effort and performance (indeed which some women have displayed) women in Kenya deserve better that this.
From: Cyprian Orina-Nyamwamu
This one from Lister Nyaringo has come as a shaker to my Democratic engagement in Kenya since I was a Youngman in student leadership. I normally request people to read their pieces impersonally before they post them because if you read your article again you will realize that it lacks in depth and substance or even in readily available data and knowledge. Lister did not re-read his. And this concerns me.
Let me show you why I am about to give up on us.
Lister says “I beg to differ with the contents in the harmonised draft constitution where it reserves 47 seats for women. In my humble opinion, this is belittling the strengths of women. A level playing field should be nurtured in our national politics ( emphasis mine) where women contest alongside men to win or loose fairly. Women are not feeble or weak.
Which are the strengths of women in Kenya? Are they economic, financial, political, socio-cultural or what? Women own only 2% of land in Kenya; only 26% of them get grades to gain admission to university in Kenya. When we men are busy holding down top level management positions our wives are trying to give birth to our second or third kid. All of the 47 registered political parties are controlled by men. Look at their NECs. Except for Wangari Karua’s NARC Kenya and Wangari Maathai’s Greens, there is no other party which has a woman for it party leader. Where Mr. Nyaringo comes from in Bobasi which happens to be Kepta Ombati’s constituency and my neighbour, the story about a woman running to be MP or even councilor is roundly frowned at…”That woman is a malaya!” the people will conclude. Lister knows this. I know it better because I have sponsored women candidates for civic seats and parliamentary seats in Kenya as SG of SDP before and now at Safina. In Bomachoge the women I sponsored for civic seats were quickly branded my concubines!
A level playing field in our national politics is what Lister calls for. How is this gonna be achieved politically, economically, socio-culturally and in financial terms? How are we gonna get enough women to rise to the top in the corporate sector without them having to be taken through the unprintable harassment that our sisters and wives are exposed to daily to get employed and to get promoted by the men bosses? How are we going to get more women to be elected to positions without the concept and strategy of Affirmative action? This are the questions we should be answering on how to solve these problems and lead the nation. Polemics and arguments that sound exciting from far but are far from exciting is what I beg that we tone down on. Hali halisi, real conditions obtain out here, even in your houses so please do not zoom in with out-of –the-world arguments as if women have not contested again and again and never got elected.
The violence of our politics, the night treachery and the forceful rigging of elections are the types that get Gumo elected, Tett is left by the way side; Waititu is elected, Pasaris left by the way side; In Kamukunji there is the gentleman there.. Yes Mbugua elected, Ann Njogu is left by the way side; and that is in Nairobi only. Are we talking about being aggressive? You think Betty Tett is not aggressive? You think my friend Tedd Olang is not aggressive; you think Monicah Amolo is not aggressive; you think Zippora Kitony is not aggressive? You think Philo Ikonya is not aggressive? What more do want these ladies to do to earn the male marks for being aggressive?
Mr Nyaringo further argues “In fact, men cannot beat women when it comes to lobbying, canvassing (lobbying and canvassing who? Men?), caucusing and finding common grounds on national affairs. Therefore, its high time women are given a chance (given a chance by who?) to fight it out on equal footing with men and not wait to be rewarded on the basis of their gender. That is why I agree with Mr. Evans Machera’s pregnant points in this forum”.
First of all we do know that these are moot points being made here. Totally unsupported by researched facts. Mere statements!
But Mr. Nyaringo lets himself out when he says that women should be given a chance to fight for seats. Who is this who Mr. Nyaringo is calling upon to give women a chance? Men of course! Why? because this is a patriarchal society where all institutions are controlled by men; political/policy institutions including parliament and the cabinet is totally controlled by men; the media, the church and the mosque, the education institutions, the economic institutions including the NSE, the banks etc are they all not controlled by men, what about cultural institutions like the Njuri Ncheke, the Kalenjin council of elders, the Luo council of elders headed by Ker Ogalo and the newly launched Kisii Council of elders? Do you see these institutions run by women? That is why Nyaringo is calling on these men to give women a chance! So how pregnant were the points made by friend and fellow constituent from Bomachoge Mr. Machera Evans?
Mr Nyaringo then goes on to assert as follows “I think if this clause of rewarding women with seats is entrenched in the constitution, it will be a great insult to Kenyan women like Nobel laureate Wangari Mathai, honourables Charity Ngilu, Esther Murugi, Chebii Kilimo and former MPs Dr. Julie Ojiambo, Phoebe Asiyo and Grace Ogot.Others in the education sector include: Kavetsa Adagala, Professor Maria Nzomo and Eddah Gachukia”
How, pray is affirmative action a reward? How affirmative action which is what we have championed for since 1985 be called an insult to women?
He reveals further that “These are few of the Kenyan women who fought it out to be where they are today. They didn’t wait any form of affirmative action to excel in their respective fields; a clear demonstration that irrespective of one’s gender, you can be where and what you want to be”.
Yes that is why they are only 18% of the nation’s policy making process whereas women are 52% of the nation… and by the way Prof. Maathai lost her Tetu Parliamentary seat in 2007 because she was not seen to be very loyal to Kibaki in Nyeri. Ngilu had to protest and rant to be included in the Pentagon (of six) where she therefore technically was an outsider. And where is Julia Ojiambo these days? Is Linah not an assistant minister when she used to be a minister for immigration in the 9th Parliament? How come none of these women you fondly list is anywhere in the top five of Kenya.. President, V P, PM, two DPMs?
Lister Nyaringo asserts “Kenyan voters are in for good leaders irrespective of their gender”. Really? Are we still talking about Kenya?
The examples you give hereafter can only be used to defeat you assertion that affirmative action is belittling women. Read with me what Lister has to offer as examples “Women are our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters. We cherish and love them dearly. The Country has always given them chances to exhaust their talents even in the current constitution (really? The current constitution? How?). In a patriarchal society like ours, women may encounter challenges due to male dominance but they also need to be more aggressive in order to realize their dreams ( emphasis mine). The iron lady, Martha Karua has done it by rising to party leadership and she is comfortably positioned to contest for the presidency in 2012. Hillary Clinton fought hard in one of the hotly contested USA primaries. Although she lost, she was appointed by President Barrack Obama as Secretary of State, one of the most coveted cabinet positions in a USA government”
Lister you are calling on women to be aggressive so that they can be appointed by men when men win presidential and governmental power. Charity Ngilu ran in 1997 (and those of you who know me and that presidential race know how much I was involved) but she lost miserably. We realized how ukabila was such a force and in traditional structures such as ethnic power systems, you know women are outsiders.
For me my brother Lister Nyaringo is yet to come to where some of us arrived at in 1990 when I was a boy in form one. I have told a few of you the story of my mother, the plantation and the bank account. If we can not see the things that go on in our own homes and houses we may never be leaders but oppressors of our people forever.
Mr. Nyaringo avows that “We should be a society that rewards people based on their talent and hard work. All Kenyans irrespective of their gender must be empowered to compete fairly in politics, education, government appointments, and in Business”
Exactly, that is why affirmative action so that women can have a chance to lift themselves to an equal footing before they can compete with men fairly and that shall take decades. Women all over the world, have been in this position of subjugation for nearly five centuries and leveling the ground is not gonna take empty calls for women to be more aggressive when we know that they will actually lose that which they have if they dropped their caring and compassionate mien and take on a more aggressive attribute. They will lose. I know that and Dr. Penina Ogada at UoN can confirm these details.
By the way Lister when did women start to vote in the USA, leave alone run for seats?
Male chauvinist
And for me this is where the male chauvinist in my brother Lister paraded itself very unromantically
“That is why I will always be very critical to affirmative action which to me curtails the cultivation of talent, ambition and aiming higher especially on women. Why should 47 seats be reserved for women if we are prepared as a nation to cultivate meritocracy as a principle for tapping the top cream of our society, if we truly want to transform Kenya’s fragile social, political and economic institutions? We must desist from comparing Kenya to Rwanda, which has the highest number of women MPs, instead, we must realize that the Country might be lacking articulate men to serve as MPs or women politicians know how to plays (sic) their political game”.
Joseph Lister Nyaringo
New Jersey, USA
Is this last paragraph not saddening? Why can’t Young people, professionals and intellectuals rely on research and knowledge? Is that true about Rwanda’s policy of gender balance and affirmative action? The constitution of South Africa provides for 50:50 presence of women and men in the regional assemblies; the North European countries that use the MMPR and PR system require that the party list must have women at par with men on the lists. That is why Sweden and other Scandinavian countries have the highest presence of women in their parliaments; cabinets etc… and these countries lead the best lives in the world.. And they are classified as the most democratic societies in the world.
I withhold my vote for Mr. Nyaringo for Bobasi because he has gone against the Young People’s Charter and code of conduct for engagement in Politics. This code was published in 2001 and adopted at the Youth Conventions. Mr. Machera and Nyaringo must produce their New Political and governance principles of engagement which denounce Affirmative action so that we carry on with this debate from a point of Knowledge.
May Susan Kariuki kindly distribute the Code of Conduct to all Members of the NYC list?
Courage comrades
Cyprian Orina-Nyamwamu
Panafrican Policy and Governance Strategist
At NCEC, Partnership for Change and Safina.
Thank You Cyprian. Well said. I do agree in to-to.
MY RESPONSE TO MTUMISHI NYAMWAMU
I stand by my opinion and I cannot retract even a word no matter how demeaning you may sound Mr. Nyamwamu. I respect your criticism but going deeper, you are full of innuendos and populism which doesn’t augur well for Kenya in the 21st Century. I write from my heart and you write from your head. This is NOT an intellectual contest.
Your first paragraph is an insult to me. Try to re-read. NYC is not an English class that you are trying to edit and fine tune posted opinions. You and I never went to the same grammar school! If you are smarter than the editors of the Standard Media Group, then they made a mistake to publicise my opinions dated 01/02/2010, in the following URL: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000002194&catid=17&a=1Cyprian, be told that I can’t think like you, act like you, reason like you or agree with you all the time. Again, I’m not a people pleaser, because when I try to, I end up not pleasing nobody; not even my wife or mother.
I wonder what democracy you stand for when you are spewing fire and brimstones besides going so personal when you say: “I withhold my vote for Mr. Nyaringo for Bobasi because he has gone against the Young People’s Charter and code of conduct for engagement in Politics.” You are making two mistakes Mr. Nyamwamu: One, you “MUST” vote for yourself in 2012 and win, two, I don’t know how binding the NYC Charter is to the extent of gagging me.
Let us respect other people’s opinion no matter how ambiguous they may sound so long as we don’t use insults or turn personal the way you have portrayed. Number two, you have vied twice in Bomachoge and I once in Bobasi and we all lost. We are neighbours geographically, and my view is: We need to work harder; tighten our belts but not expect manna from the invincible heaven.
I still believe that women have a great potential to make best leaders for mankind. I’m further convinced that they tend to have strengths than men. Therefore, they don’t need special treatment or consideration in politics, business, industry or education. If you have worked with women, they augur excellent multitasking abilities besides having strong organizational skills than men. THE BEST EXAMPLE IS IN YOUR WORDS: May Susan Kariuki kindly distribute the Code of Conduct to all Members of the NYC list?
My query to you is this: do you think Susan Kariuki needs affirmative action or one of the 47 seats slated for women? The answer is no. This is a young woman who has worked hard and can trounce men in a fair and free political contest. That is why I strongly believe that with independent electoral system, women can compete effectively and trounce men.
Therefore, affirmative action is not a solution to election rigging. I’m not aware if Fred Gumo did rig Westlands against Bett Tetti, or Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathai lost Tetu because of her gender. How about the reverse in Starehe between Bishop Wanjiru and Maina Kamanda; a PNU insider in 2007. Does the gender card apply here?
Again, saying that in Bobasi, women aspirants are labelled “Malaya” is an exaggeration and going over the top. Our people are not barbaric to do this ndugu yangu. I was born, and grew up in Bobasi and I have never heard such epithet labelled on women. Gusii society and is more accommodative to women than ever.
I have no problem with affirmative action for individuals on special needs like Ms Josephine Sinyo; the first blind woman lawyer in Kenya and a onetime nominee for your party- Safina. These populations deserve special treatment and consideration in education, politics, jobs, and welfare.
I may be stupid and less intelligent than you Nyamwamu, but under the blue sky, I know my heart and I don’t mean, mean for the women of Kenya. I will never try to demagnetize or be critical to tangible changes that will lift their lives.
Your argument will not change my view. I still and will always believe that women have the capacity to excel in life just like men. They don’t need special treatment or consideration. Watch this space, the nomination process for the 47 seats will be compounded with wrangles and may end up benefiting the politically connected individuals. That is why I concur with Linda Wamalwa’s views.
By and large, accolades for doing spade work to respond to my opinion Mr. Nyamwamu. However, I urge you to stop believing in utopia. Joseph Lister Nyaringo, NJ-USA
It is healthy to have different political views. However, the element of equity and equality must be addressed not only in a electron system but indeed need to be entrenched in the constitution. It is viable to reserve seats for women and remove youth as a constituency? is it fair not to give women a platform to venture into political leadership? the question of women representation in political parties is not only wanting but something that need to be addressed UNDER CERTIFICATE OF URGENCY.
Lets change our patriarchal perceptions and ethnocentric activism and strive to make Kenya a just, free and fair society governed by the rule of law. Cyprian, I have been with you and I do understand your criticisms very well. You have been instrumental in the reform process in this country. There is nothing wrong in loosing a parliamentary or civic seat. However, one must learn from experience in strategising for the next election thanks Mr. Ephraim Kimotho for the PLDP lessons on campaigning for a successful election.
Perhaps we wait for what the committee of experts will view this important issue.
Kevin Ogema
The shocking thing about our leaders in the civil society is their narrow view of things. I’m a woman and I dont need any special treatment or attention. If it means fighting, I will fight it out with men. I am shocked beyond measure on Cyprian’s gesture.
I have followed Nyaringo’s arguments and I dont see any section where he has portrayed any negatitivity on women.
Again, the two guys may be from different schools of thought and should respect each other. Its disturbing that there is aconotation of ethnic bash between the two. Kisiis brothers, sobre up, you are all smart and you have what it takes to help Kenya and Abagusii at large.
I think the question is whether women should vie for Political positions or they should be appointed to Political Positions. By reserving the 47 seats in Parliament for women, it would certainly mean appointing certain women to those positions. First I do not know what creteria will be adopted to select those women to those positions. I also do not understand why 47 seats should be reserved for women and at the same time allowed women to run for political positions.