Kenya Now Has 7 Elected Women Governors

In a break from tradition, women have swept the board in this year’s Kenyan gubernatorial elections. Out of the 47 governors elected, 7 are women. This is a clear indication of the confidence that the Kenyan people have in women’s ability to lead.

Among the elected include

1. Gladys Wanga

Outgoing Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga was declared Homa Bay county governor-elect after garnering a total of 244,559 votes beating her counterpart Evans Kidero with over 100,000 votes. Wanga goes down in history as the youngest female governor and the first female governor in the Nyanza region.

2. Wavinya Ndeti

The former Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti is the new governor for Machakos county. Ndeti garnered 226, 609 votes beating his close competitor Nzioka Waita who lost with 129,189 votes. Wavinya emerged the winner after failed attempts in 2013 and 2017. She previously served as a Member of Parliament for Kathiani Machakos county, where she made history as the first female MP in Machakos. She is now the first female governor in Machakos county.

3. Anne Waiguru

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Ann Waiguru was re-elected as the governor of Kirinyaga county after garnering 113,088 votes. Waiguru defeated the outgoing women representative Wangui Ngirici who managed to get 105,677 votes.

4. Susan Kihika

Nakuru senator Susan Kihika was declared the winner in the August 2022 gubernatorial race. Kihika garnered 440,797 votes against incumbent governor Lee Kinyanjui who managed 225,351 votes. She makes history as the first female governor in Nakuru.

5. Kawira Mwangaza

Kawira Mwangaza won the  Meru governor race on an independent ticket beating incumbent Kiraitu Murungi and UDA party’s Mithika Linturi. She is the county’s outgoing woman representative.

6. Cecily Mbarire

Embu county nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Cecily Mbarire was declared governor-elect, becoming the first woman governor in Embu with 108,610 votes. She defeated her close competitor Lenny Kivuti who secured 105,246 votes. She joins Kawira Mwangaza and Ann Waiguru as the third elected female governor in the Mount Kenya region.

7. Fatuma Achani

Fatuma Achani was elected the governor of Kwale county after garnering 59,674 votes beating ODM candidate Hamadi Boga who secured 53, 972 votes. She stands as the first woman to be elected governor in the coast region.

This is a significant increase from the three women who were elected as governors in the 2017 elections. The election of these women governors demonstrates that Kenya is ready to embrace more women leaders to address the country’s challenges.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) has also declared several women as MPs and Senators.

This is a historic moment for Kenya, and the world, as more women are being elected to top political positions. It shows that voters are willing to elect qualified women candidates regardless of their gender. This is a clear sign that the time has come for greater representation of women in leadership positions.