In Kenya, the main duty of county women representatives is to speak on behalf of the county’s women and girls in the parliament. Each of the 47 counties has an elected County Women Representative at the National Assembly. According to Article 100 of the Constitution, women are classified as a special interest group. They are entitled to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in politics, as stated in Article 27(3).
Roles of women representatives include
- County Women Representatives have the responsibility of receiving and responding to public petitions regarding issues involving discrimination against women and girls.
- The county women’s representatives defend the rights of women and girls both locally and nationally. They Develop regulations and laws that specifically work for women and girls.
- They fight and promote fairness and equal opportunity for women and girls through the legislative body.
- Another role of women representatives is to encourage locals to suggest projects that will benefit women and girls. They then go ahead and persuade the federal government to allocate funds for those projects.
- They endorse and take part in laws, motions, resolutions, and notifications that seek to address any disadvantages faced by women and girls as a result of discrimination in the past or present.
- They ought to support and push for long-term policy reforms to address the issues affecting women and girls. For instance, they ought to have the government distribute sanitary pads to all girls enrolled in school rather than asking people to donate them.
- Another duty of Women Representatives in Kenya as Members of Parliament is allocating, spending, and controlling national revenue; deciding how state officers should behave; monitoring state agencies, and approving war and emergency declarations.
Qualification of a Woman Representative in Kenya
In Kenya, in order for you to qualify for the position of County Women Representative, you must fulfill the following qualification:
1. Be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election.
2. Must be a registered voter.
3. Be nominated by a Political Party or an independent candidate.
4. Not be obliged to any foreign governments.
5. Not having two nationalities.
6. Be of sound mind.
7. Not hold any state or federal official office, other than that of being a member of parliament.
8. Must not be subject to a sentence of imprisonment of at least six months from the date of registration of candidates or the date of elections.
9. Must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
10. Must not have been determined to have violated Chapter Six of the Constitution or abused, misused, or used a public office in an improper manner.
11. Must not have been expelled or removed from public office for violating the terms of Articles 75, 76, 77, or 78 of the Constitution.
12. Must meet the statutory moral and ethical requirements under the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Requirements to vie for this seat are:
During the nomination procedure, a party candidate or an independent candidate must deliver specific documents to the IEBC.
The documents for a party candidate are:
- A certified copy of a national identity card or a valid passport.
- A passport-size photograph of himself or herself with a white background in soft and hard copy.
- If the candidate was a public officer, he or she should submit a letter of discharge from their employer.
- If the candidate is a party candidate, a nomination certificate properly signed by a party official from a fully registered political party should be submitted.
- A code of conduct that is properly dated and signed (Second Schedule of the Elections Act, 2011)
For an Independent Candidate
- A logo that the candidate plans to use and that the Commission has approved.
- A properly completed Form of Intention to Contest is sent to the Commission in the form prescribed.
- A list of at least 1000 supporters, in both electronic and paper form, submit to the Commission.
- A Clearance Certificate from the Registrar of Political Parties attesting that the individual was not a part of any political party in the three months prior to the elections.
- Create and maintain a working office in the particular electoral district in which the candidate is running, and make it accessible to the Commission for inspection at least 45 days before the election.
Women’s representative salary in Kenya
According to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. Kenyan women representatives are paid the same as other National Assembly members. Women’s representative salary in Kenya is Ksh. 710,000 per month which consists of allowances.
Can a man be a women’s representative in Kenya?
The position is reserved for members of the female gender. The constitution bars men from vying for this seat because it only allows female candidates to participate. A man can not be a women’s representative.
