Natasha W. Kimani

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Women hold signs during a protest against repeated failures to apply laws that women must hold at least a third of government seats in Nairobi, Kenya, on 22 January 2018. According to Kenya's 2010 constitution, women must have at least a third of seats in parliament and a third of appointed positions. Photo: Getty Images.

In your paper, you write about how the Kenyan government allocated funds to women so they can participate in entrepreneurial activities and gain financial independence. However, many of the women who were able to access these funds came from more privileged backgrounds. How can the government make sure that these programmes reach marginalized and minority communities?

It’s about how the funds are advertised. The people who have access to this information are often more educated and have a deeper understanding of how the systems work. So, women in very rural areas rarely, if ever, hear about these opportunities. And when they do, even when they access the funds, they don't know what to do with them.…  Seguir leyendo »

Posing for a photo between posters of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-President William Ruto at a temporary installed photo studio in Nairobi. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.

Seven years after enacting radical new constitutional provisions to tackle the marginalization and under-representation of women, the fight for equality in Kenya remains far from won. Although small but significant gains by women have been made - including the election of Kenya’s first female senators and governors - the constitution still requires that not more than two-thirds of elective or appointed public bodies be of the same gender. This is commonly referred to as the “two-thirds gender rule”.

In 2017, just 23 women were elected to the National Assembly (from 290 contested seats) and three women were to the Senate (from 47 contested seats).…  Seguir leyendo »

A Kenyan security force member in Nairobi on 30 October. Photo: Getty Images.

Kenya’s presidential election of 8 August was annulled by the Supreme Court, which ruled it unconstitutional – a historic first for the country, and for Africa. The election was repeated on 26 October. Turnout fell from 79.5 per cent to 38.8 per cent as the effects of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s boycott, broader public disenchantment with the credibility of the process and political fatigue made themselves felt. Even in areas supportive of the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta, participation dropped sharply. On Monday 30 October, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Kenyatta the winner, with 98 per cent of the vote.…  Seguir leyendo »