Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery at a past event. [Photo/ mediamaxnetwork.co.ke]
Women politicians have lauded Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery’s order that female aspirants be given security.
Narok woman representative Soipan Kudale and nominated MCA Sila Sikawa said giving women contenders security will lower cases of harassment.Four weeks ago, women contenders from Coast decried continued harassment on them calling on the government to provide security for them.“I am happy female aspirants will be given security. This will limit violence against them,” said Kudale on Thursday adding women aspirants sometime encounter violent crowds that harass and hull insults at them.Early June, nominated Senator Emma Mbura who is eying the Rabai parliamentary seat on a Maendeleo Chap Chap ticket said her male challengers had dug into her marital status, “saying all sorts of bad things about my status, family and life in general.”She said one of her male rivals at a public rally proclaimed how she does not qualify to lead Rabai people because she was not married and had failed to establish a home.“The same opponent later on went ahead and told the people that I was new in Rabai having been born in Mombasa,” she added.Nkaissery recently said some female aspirants will be provided with security to limit cases of bullying during campaigns.On June 2, female candidates in Kilifi - Esther Kache (Kilifi North Jubilee aspirant), Esther Kondo who is Mbura’s opponent vying on a Labour Party ticket and Patience Chome (Kadu Asili nominee for Kaloleni MP seat) accused their male challengers of belittling them as women.Sikawa said disabled women had also encountered harassment during campaigns.