The Martha effect: Kenyan women to make history: One of the most important elections in our history will take place in Kenya in just 1 month. Today, the two major camps have a sizable following across the nation, which is evidence of our democracy’s continued expansion.
But unlike in previous elections, the two camps’ ideologies couldn’t be further divergent. The Azimio One Kenya Coalition supports the Constitution by promising to uphold it if elected and by highlighting the role their leaders played in the nation’s second liberation.
The Hustlers team, on the other hand, has demonstrated that they care about Kenyans from all socioeconomic backgrounds, but they have not gone as far as to respect the 2010 Constitution’s fundamental values. The choice of running mate that the two factions nominated also shows how drastically different their ideologies are from one another.
With the selection of Martha Karua as Raila Odinga’s running companion, the Azimio team made history. The Martha effect permeated the nation in the following days and weeks. Kenyans who hadn’t chosen a camp yet were abruptly brought back into the fold.
The prospect of having a female Deputy President brought with it a fresh sense of hope. Not just because Karua is a woman, but also because she is a woman they can trust, women felt fully represented.
One who has defended and promoted the rule of law and who exemplifies the ideals and principles outlined in Chapter 10 of our Constitution.
Martha has fought for ethical behavior, honesty, and accountability in terms of leadership. Additionally, she has never been afraid to expose corruption. She has behaved in a way that demonstrates her respect for both her captain, Raila Odinga, and all Kenyans even throughout this campaign season. She has persisted in telling Kenyans that politics doesn’t have to be about insults and that we can have a strong democracy based on principles, where we can respectfully agree or disagree. This was made clear when she came across young people who had been recruited to jeer and disturb her at one of the gatherings.
The Martha effect has also led to her receiving support from a range of organizations, including professional associations and grassroots organizations. Many of these supporter declarations were made as a sign of confidence in her ability to manage the country.
These endorsements also served as a demonstration of support for the Azimio coalition, which demonstrated to Kenyans that their plans for the nation go beyond simply making implausible promises to be kept. The Million Women for Martha movement is one such effort to recognize this turning point in Kenyan history.
Making promises that will only be fulfilled in the future does not uphold the principles outlined in our Constitution. At every turn and on every level of Kenyan society, they are reinforced by doing. Mama Mboga must go with a presidential candidate when they file their candidacy papers to the IEBC, and future cabinet jobs must be promised. This is not enough to qualify as women’s inclusion. Women’s inclusion is having them participate in current decisions, and Azimio has excelled in this area.
From the mama mboga and the small businesswomen to the female corporate executives who are in their right industry titans, the issues women encounter in society are a reality for all of us. In the past three months, we have been given a sneak peek at what the two sides believe about including women.
We have the chance to take action right away and ensure that the future we desire for our moms, sisters, daughters, and ourselves comes to pass as soon as possible.
Let’s get out and support the Azimio ticket, which stands for that future. Being one of the one million women supporting Martha as we make history together makes me proud.