How Not To Unseat Rachael Shebesh, Mistakes Made By Wannabe Nairobi Women Representatives

Millicent Omanga one of the aspirants

If you thought it’s what one does off the cameras and off the courts that make make them worthy of the people’s support, then you figured it wrong. Think again. The race to clinch the Nairobi women rep seat which soon fall vacant is taking an interesting turn.

Would be politicians are working best with what they have, others are using their financial strength, some are self-motivated and inspired, others by virtue of being the incumbent are putting up a strong fight to defend the seat when lazy ones are up to use their bottoms to shoot straight to the top.

As the nation struggles to strike gender balance in its elected leadership, special seats reserved for our women are attracting passive candidates who champion nothing. Some are running to please their sponsors or milk them dry or just to graduate from being parasites to honourable members. Real women who stand for serious issues go for ‘bigger positions’ like gubernatorial or senatorial seats.

Before you just bid think about what people know you for, is it arrest for drunk driving, escape with another woman’s husband or donating books to a local school? Some aspirants have made news for all the wrong reasons acquiring negative fame. A thousand people who follow you on social media and like your pages will not turn to vote. The empty pledges you are giving are an old century rhetorics that no one takes seriously. Present policies that resonate with the electorate and can fix the challenges they are facing.

Karen Nyamu Aka Bae Wa Nai

The incumbent Hon. Rachael Shebesh aka Manzi wa Nairobi is facing opponents with the same childish monikers. The Bae wa Nairobi, Toto si Totos and Wakili wa Mama na Watoto of this world are up to pose a limping challenge to the incumbent who has had a dismal performance. A serious candidate with fresh and real ideas is needed. I mean, going by the monikers what difference is there between Manzi wa Nairobi and Bae wa Nairobi? Copy and paste strategy that can not work even in utopia.

These are short visioned leaders who may deliver less than Shebesh. Copy and paste, lame PR stunts and taking photos to beg for mercy work not anymore. They say brains hardly go with beauty, and the testimony is right before the eyes of the Nairobians.

As mentioned in the previous article, the Nairobi woman rep is yet to attract serious candidate or already the ones who’ve declared interests don’t have a clear view of what they want. The campaign slogan is a key pivot point. Yes, We Can is what shot Obama to the spot two terms later. The slogan tells the seriousness or saucy nature in your bid. We’re not just looking at who has more sexual appeal, which has the trendy tag but a woman of substance who has strict moral values to defend the rights of Nairobi women. The tags flowing around are as childish as they sound.