Abstract:
Although women play a critical role in development, their place in political leadership in most African countries is often scant. They constitute more than half of the population in Kenya and therefore form the bulk of the voters but are yet to convert these numbers into positions of political leadership. This dismal presence could be as result of unique aspects embedded in each community’s cultural behaviour and outlook. Against this background, this study investigated determining factors influencing women’s election into political leadership roles in Manga county assembly ward of Nyamira County. The study was guided by the Developmental Theory of Gender Realignment. The developmental theory assumes that traditional societies are characterized by sharply differentiated gender roles that preclude women from the public sphere but confines them in the domestic sphere. However, the process of societal modernization alters social and cultural patterns, realigning women’s roles towards a certain political inclination, participation, or non-participation. To gather the data, the study made use of interviews and documentary analysis. Using simple stratified random sampling technique, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 150 respondents within Manga county assembly ward. The gathered data was sorted and coded according to categories of similarity and uniqueness of responses, and analysed with the aid of SPSS computer software programme. Data presentation was done using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency and percentage tables. The study identified factors that hinder and those that promoted the candidacy of women to political leadership, and provided practical social policy measures and solutions that can be employed to ameliorate the challenges faced. The study also exposed policy gaps and strategic action shortfalls to be filled, and proposes intervention mechanisms and further research areas to strengthen the role of women in political leadership.
