A section of women leaders in Kirinyaga have criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks they say demeaned women governors by focusing on their appearance.
The women under the egis of Kirinyaga Grassroots Women Leaders Forum said Wednesday’s remarks by Gachagua on Governor Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Cecily Mbarire (Embu) were not only disrespectful and demeaning but also meant to stigmatize women leaders.
Speaking during a media conference at Kamiigua polytechnic grounds in Kutus, the women further accused the Democracy of Citizens Party (DCP) leader of “objectifying and targeting women in his Mt. Kenya campaigns”.
Their reaction follows Gachagua’s remarks at his Wamunyoro residence in which he claimed Governor Waiguru, Kihika and Mbarire camped in Ol Kalou Constituency during recently concluded political campaigns wearing makeup and lipstick in an attempt to influence youth to vote for United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina.
The women who also included nominated Members of County Assembly (MCAs) said the remarks reflected Gachagua’s deep seated bias against women leaders and undermines the strides Kenya has made in women leadership.
Khadijah Mustafa, Chairperson of the forum, accused Gachagua of “lowering the standards of political discourse” by repeatedly using the gender card to denigrate women leaders.
“I do not know what you have against women, but it is very uncouth for a politician to keep insulting women. It seems Gachagua has a beef with women leaders, you can’t force people to follow,” she said.
She also called on politicians to respect women’s choices regarding their personal appearance, saying these should not be used as a basis for political criticism.
“Hii kesi ya kibogoyo, wewe mswaki una ushahidi gani?”, arguing that Gachagua has had no place commenting on matters such as lipstick and make-ups adding that this would drag him into confrontations with women.
The women further hailed Waiguru as a trailblazer who has transformed Kirinyaga and broken barriers nationally, noting that she remains the only woman to have been elected governor twice and to serve two terms as Chairperson of the Council of Governors. They said those achievements were earned through performance and leadership, not political theatrics.
They dismissed attempts by the former Deputy President to portray himself as the Mt. Kenya region’s political kingpin, arguing that leadership is earned through service, respect and the confidence of the people rather than through self-declaration.
Nominated MCA Jane Wangu said Governor Waiguru had mentored many women leaders while transforming Kirinyaga through investments in water, agriculture and road infrastructure.
“Governor Waiguru has already served her two terms and is now a national leader. We feel deeply hurt when one use gender issues to attack women. We shall continue following her leadership because politics should be about respecting one another, not insulting fellow leaders. Lipstick is simply part of a woman’s dressing and there is nothing wrong with it,” Wangu said.
MCA Irene Gathuku asked the former Deputy President to engage in “mature and sober politics which respect women. Our Governor is our leader and she has mentored many of us, even beyond politics. She has also led the Council of Governors. Leave women alone. We respect men and our husbands and we expect the same respect in return. Look for votes the right way instead of fighting women,” she said.
Loise Wanjiru said gender based politics have no place in Kenya and therefore asked Gachagua to engage in issue based campaigns that can inspire confidence in his leadership instead of “demeaning women.”
“We elected our Governor for ten years and no one should come here to dictate whom we should support. We are following Governor Waiguru because she is our leader. If she chooses to seek the position of Deputy President, we shall support her. Leave the people of Kirinyaga alone and stop talking about lipstick,” Wanjiru said.
Cecily Nyaguthii dismissed the debate over lipstick as irrelevant, saying women have the freedom to make personal choices without political interference.
“Whether we choose to wear lipstick or not, it is nobody’s business. Women of Kirinyaga will make their own decisions, and we expect leaders to respect women because women will continue taking up leadership positions,” she said.
