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Kenya's history-making women elected governors, senators

Kenya's history-making women elected governors, senators

Kenya

Six women have made history in Kenya for being the first women to win seats as governors and senators since the promulgation of the 2010 constitution.

Three women won gubernatorial seats which have always been won by men.

Another three women won seats in the 68-member Senate, making them the first women to be elected in the lower house of parliament.

The elected governors are Joyce Laboso for Bomet, Anne Waiguru for Kirinyaga and Charity Ngilu for Kitui.

Joyce Laboso is the National Assembly speaker and a highly respected politician. She beat Bomet Governor Julius Kones with a huge margin to win the seat.

Anne Waiguru is a former cabinet secretary for devolution and also won by a large margin. It was the same story for the former lands cabinet secretary Charity Ngilu who won comfortably.

The elected senators are Margaret Kamar for Uasin Gishu, Susan Kihika for Nakuru and Fatuma Dullo for Isiolo.

Margaret Kamar was unsuccessful in 2013 when she vied for the same seat. She was the director of the International Centre for Research in Sustainable Development and Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology between 2011 and 2013.

Susan Kihika was also unsuccessful in 2013 when she vied for a parliamentary seat. She was the Nakuru County Assembly Speaker before joining the senate race.

Fatuma Dullo had been in the Senate since 2013 when she was nominated by the United Republican Party (URP). She served as a commissioner at the Kenya National Human Rights Commission between 2007 and 2012.

Women have had no elected representation in the Senate but were appointed based on party seat numbers.

The Senate consists of 68 seats with 47 elected and 21 appointed including the 16 women, 2 from disabled groups, 2 representing male and female youth and a speaker.

Kenya’s women representation in parliament also increased by six from 16 in 2013 to 22 in the 2017 elections.

Click here for all the election news on our Africa Elections page

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