Kisumu boasts of a fair representation of women, both in the County Assembly, Chief Executive positions and other appointments including the Lands Board which has both the Chairperson and Secretary as women.
In the County Assembly, the county had the highest number of elected women MCAs at eight, which no other county Assembly achieved.
The Assembly also had both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker positions held by women with four of the CeC positions in the cabinet being women.
The City Manager is a woman. Same to the Deputy Governor as well as a number of sub county and ward administrators.
This achievement on gender balance has however, failed to show in service delivery, and a number of women leaders are pointing fingers at Governor Jack Ranguma as the threat to thriving women leadership in the county.
Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga, in what seem to be a rejuvenated rivalry between her and her boss has claimed that her boss is the biggest huddle in the success in women leadership in the county.
She claims her relationship with the governor has just been a marriage of convenience.
"Women leaders in Kisumu have faced a lot of intimidation and as a victim I cannot hide the truth. As a deputy governor I have no vehicle to do my work and I am never involved in the governance of this county as well as major decision making processes," Ruth told this writer during an interview on Friday.
According to Ms Odinga, County Assembly Majority Leader Merlin Olero, City Manager Doris Ombara, former Assembly Speaker Anne Adul, her Deputy Pamela Jossy, former Environment CeC Rhoda Ahonobadha, former Director of Communication Merita Ombuor and herself are some of the women leaders who have suffered the wrath of Ranguma's intimidation, a situation which has seen them be viewed as failures.
"Some of these people were denied funds and other resources to carry out their duties.
Some were intimidated through some cronies and it is time we come out as women and face the issues," she said.
Even though she could not dwell in the issues, to which some are still pending in court, she said it was time women came together and strategise on how to claim their place in the county leadership. Last week Ombara claimed that she had no funds to run the city operations.
The county however, released Sh12 million on Thursday for settling of outstanding electricity and water bills and other operations after pressure from the County Assembly.
Olero through a phone interview with this writer confirmed that she has no official car.
Her predecessor Samwel Ong'ow however, had an official car allocated to the office, but the car given by the executive was not handed over to Olero as she took over the office from Ong'ow.
Even though the leaders mentioned avoided dwelling on the matter, they admitted at one time lacking enough support from the governor in their desire to quality service delivery in their various positions.
"The truth is that as Kisumu women leaders we have frustrations which have hindered our visibility out there as one of the county with potential women leadership. Most of my colleagues shy away from talking about it but I cannot keep quiet till we shall get that space," said Ruth Odinga.
Ranguma was not available for comment as calls and text messages directed to him were not responded to.
One of his political advisers who did not want to be named however, denied the claims saying the deputy governor, contrary to what she claims has a new Toyota Prado bought by the county government for her.
He said claims made by the women leaders were mere political statements aimed at discrediting the governor.
The officer said Ranguma has empowered women with eight positions of directors, six positions of chief officers and four positions of CeCs which no other county has achieved.
"The leaders (women) should not hide in the name of gender when they are incompetent in their work," he said on Saturday in an interview.