Source: Daily Nation
Three lobby groups have launched a sensitisation campaign aimed at having as many women as possible to vie for various elective seats in the 2017 polls.

The Youth Agender, Oxfam and Fida-Kenya, want more women to present themselves for elective posts and stop waiting to be nominated by parties after elections.

And on Friday, some Nairobi women aspirants marched from the Jeevanjee Gardens to Kibera in an effort to encourage more women to go for elective posts in 2017.

The women aspirants, under the Vote A Dada campaign, said that they want to mobilise support from all quarters to ensure that more women throw their hats in the ring in the coming General Election.

Led by Lillian Ngoge, an aspirant for Mountain-View Ward in Westlands Constituency, they said that time has come for women to lead the country to prosperity and save Kenyans from run-away corruption that threatens to sink it into an abyss of poverty.

"I was there in 2013 and I am going back again as a strong woman who has been empowered and I am ready to hit it with the men. It is time men believe in us as we are the pillars of the society," said Ngoge, who lost to MCA Beatrice Kwamboka in the last elections.

Anima Ferrari, Gor Mahia Football Club Deputy Secretary General, who has her eyes on Nairobi West Ward come 2017, urged the IEBC to consider having its voting times adjusted to accommodate women as they sometimes miss voting due to domestic chores.

"Women have experience and are better at articulating issues that affect the society such as health, education and others," said Ms Ferrari.

The lobby groups called on political parties to ensure that their primaries are fair to encourage more women to enter into politics.

At the moment, they said, many women aspirants are locked out at the nominations stage by male aspirants who use crocked methods to ensure they get party tickets.

"As Fida-Kenya we are trying to see how we can ensure that party nomination processes are women friendly. In the previous election, most women were locked out at party primaries. We are trying to lobby political parties to ensure that the process is fair so that everyone is given a fair chance," said Angela Ngozi from Fida-Kenya.

Other aspirants present in the march were Alice Anyango eyeing Korogocho Ward and Caroline Owuocha going for Mathare North Ward.

By Collins Omulo

• Africa
• Kenya