Iron ladies: Women taking over Mulembe politics as male counterparts destroy each other

Women from western Kenya are turning into a powerhouse in matters politics and development and as it stands, the next General Election in 2027 will see them at the centre of power, dictating the next move for the Mulembe nation.

It is becoming obvious that men from the region can no longer be trusted to speak on behalf of the people save for the trust the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi and the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula still enjoy.

However, the two are receiving backlash from Western leaders, whom many accuse of not being hands on when it comes to giving the region the deserved direction.

Immaculate Shamallah is among the few women from the area who are never intimidated by circumstances and will always fight to be heard.

Coming from Trans Nzoia County, whose Governor George Natembeya is the fiercest critic of the two senior most Luhya leaders, Shamallah has stood firm to say that leadership is God given and the Luhya nation should have respect for the PCS and Speaker.

For now, she says, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are the ones with the mandate of showing direction as the region walks into the next elections.

Shamallah maintains that she doesn’t and can’t subscribe to politics of deceit being exhibited by a section of leaders from the region.

Her stance is endearing her well with the electorate of both Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties, which neighbour each other, and this makes her a formidable force in the region’s politics.

On the other hand, Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga is one woman who has fought for her way to the top, and it seems she is in the right direction towards creating her niche in the western Kenya political space.

She is serving her second term as the woman MP even as she still holds a position at the National Executive Council of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers’ body (Kuppet).

Wambilianga is pro government and has never shied away from defending it when an opportunity arises.

This identifies her well against many other leaders, and going forward, she will be among the few respected women leaders whose word will carry the day in the region’s politics.

While women are struggling to built trust with the electorates, their male counterparts are busy working on how to bring down their colleagues.

It is not Natembeya alone. in Bungoma county, Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka is busy tearing Speaker Wetang’ula into pieces and the two who are neighbours can walk into each other’s compound to talk about important issues aimed at building the region politically and economically, but they have chose the public gallery.

Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malalah is also busy fighting his big brothers in government asking them what they have done for the Mulembe nation.

This, as he seemingly forgets too fast that just two months ago he was sitting in the cabinet as a minister without portfolio and it was the best opportunity to ask for development but instead he chose to ‘develop himself’.

Political pundits maintain that if Western people are to ascend to power in the future, they need to build trust in those at the top for now so that they can win trust across the nation in their quest to rise to the house at the hill.