A section of Nairobi ODM party women leaders have asked the new Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma to appoint a woman as his deputy even as they condemned the ouster of Kawira Mwangaza. Addressing a press briefing in Nairobi, on Tuesday, the ODM women caucus said, that if a woman is appointed deputy governor, Mutuma shall have demonstrated gender equality and inclusivity in his administration. "We are appealing to the people of Meru to consider appointing a woman for the deputy governor position," said Nairobi county ODM chairlady Catherine Okoth.
The Meru county deputy governor position fell vacant after Mutuma was elevated to governor on March 17, after the court upheld the impeachment of Mwangaza by the Senate in 2024. At the same time, the leaders condemned Mwangaza's ouster, terming it a "drawback to the gains made towards attaining the 2/3 gender rule in the country." They accused male leaders of Meru county of allegedly orchestrating the removal of the former governor and asked them to stop what they described as "antagonising women leadership." "We go through a lot campaigning against men and after defeating them, it is sustained propaganda peddled against us (women).
We don't know who they will target the following day," ODM Nairobi County chairlady, Catherine Okoth said. "We will take to the streets should the trend of targeting women leaders continue.
We know our rights," she added. Mwangaza was among the seven women governors elected in the 2022 General Election, and who formed the G-7 group alongside Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Cecily Mbarire (Embu), Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Fatuma Achani (Kwale) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay). "The women governors have now been reduced to six courtesy of the intimidation by men.
