ODM leader Raila Odinga and his sister Ruth Odinga. [Photo/ smithrise.com]

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Kisumu deputy governor Ruth Odinga claims that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) worked against the interests of women in the just-concluded primaries. Ms Odinga, a sister to party leader Raila Odinga, is not happy that ODM failed to give a nomination certificate to any woman to vie for senator or governor. “I am afraid that from this trend, we may have few or even lack a female deputy governor in our party,” the deputy governor told a Nation.co.ke reporter.“I have to state that women have got nothing as far as things in ODM are now,” she added. This is likely to deal a blow to the party, which is part of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition that Raila will be representing as a presidential candidate, as he accuses Uhuru Kenyatta of gender imbalance and exclusivity in government.The Jubilee party, on the other hand, has handed a number of women nomination tickets to go for powerful positions.In Kirinyaga County, former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru is Jubilee’s flag bearer in the gubernatorial race. She will face off with former presidential candidate Martha Karua, who also supports the re-election of president Uhuru Kenyatta.After winning nominations, National Assembly deputy speaker Joyce Laboso was issued with the Jubilee nomination certificate to challenge Governor Isaac Ruto in Bomet County. Ms Laboso is a favourite, as residents of the county largely support the party. In the same county, Beatrice Kones has Jubilee’s ticket for the Bomet East parliamentary race. In Taita Taveta County, it is women that Jubilee is relying on to win major seats. Joyce Lay has the party’s ticket for the senatorial race, while veteran politician Naomi Shaban is the party’s flag bearer in Taveta constituency. Some of the women trusted to carry Jubilee’s flag for parliamentary seats in the party’s strongholds include Wanjiku Wa Kibe (Gatundu North), Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town MP), Peris Tobiko (MP Kajoado East) and Senator Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North). It remains to be seen how NASA will defend the decision to give women a raw deal in lucrative positions.