For the past two years, Nakuru has been under an uncomfortable national gaze.

Once celebrated for electing the highest number of women leaders in the country, the county has instead become a case study in measuring women's leadership.

In the 2022 general elections Nakuru elected at least seven women to leadership positions among them Governor Susan Kihika, Senator Keroche Tabitha Karanja, MPs Martha Wangari (Gilgil) Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Irene Njoki (Bahati) Charity Kathambi (Njoro) and Liza Chelule (County).

The election of these women leaders commonly referred to as ‘Nakuru girls’ came with expectations of a more visible and empathetic leadership for the county.

Three years down the line however, the leaders have come under sharp criticism for their loud silence especially on maters that required their attention and stand.

From the forcible closure of the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital, alleged medical negligence cases, femicide cases, disappearance of baby Mercy’s body at PGH morgue, the forced disappearance of Brian Odhiambo, teenage pregnancies, deadly land disputes, GBV, and the BBC exposé on child sex trade in Mai Mahiu, the leaders appeared unconcerned or kept mum about the issues sparked the resident’s fury.

Many residents say they feel the painstaking disappointment because Nakuru prides itself on electing women, and with that came the expectations of a more visible and empathetic leadership

One of the flashpoints was governor Kihika’s prolonged absence from public office and the lack of clarity on who was exercising executive authority during that period.

Governor Susan Kihika

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The explanation of maternity leave came after widespread public questioning, which sought to know the plans around governance, transition planning, and transparency during a period marked by hospital malfunctions and humanitarian concerns.

Later remarks about choosing to deliver abroad further sharpened public criticism, particularly as pregnant women from Kuresoi who were seen online being ferried on blankets/ donkey carts due to poor roads.

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja

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Shikoh Kihika, the founder of Tribeless Youth, says Nakuru’s experience over these two years reflects a crisis of leadership rather than a crisis of gender.

“The reason we elect women more is that we feel like it is a softer spot, they are the people who are supposed to have motherly instincts, because human rights for me comes from an empathetic point of view that they’d be empaths and have these conversations, but we saw none,” she observes.

Nakuru woman representative

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She notes with frustration that the issues are coupled with the question of mismanagement of funds and many incomplete projects, yet no accountability. The few leaders who tried to speak up were dismissed as seeking political clout.

“We have gone through two very tough years as a county. We elected women, believing they were our key to doing it right for the first time. I understand that the bar for women is often set higher than for men. But unfortunately, this doesn’t mean we disregard accountability,” Kihika notes.

Gilgil MP Martha Wangari

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Another case that stands out, she says, is the disappearance of Brian Odhiambo, whose mother still cries for answers, yet the county’s women leaders remain silent. The same silence hangs over the mothers of protesters who were killed in June 2024 - like Mama Kevin, Mama Michael, and Mama Austin - who continue to beg for justice that has never come.

She distinctively notes that not only the governor is quiet but the women MPs have also remained silent, even when crises unfold within their constituencies, with the ‘fear’ that speaking sometimes seems risky politically, so silence becomes the safer option.

Bahati MP Irene Njoki

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“So yes, we have failed in leadership. Not only women leaders, but leadership as a whole. Oversight has been weak from the county assembly and the Senate alike. We have become a sleeping giant of injustices, many wrongs happening, all quietly swept under the carpet for optics,” says Kihika.

She believes that leadership is not “harder” for women but believes the bar has been set higher for them. Regardless, leadership - for men or women - must be about accountability, justice, transparency, and service. Where these are missing, leadership has failed.

Njoro MP Charity Kathambi

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As the drums of campaign season begin to beat and political frenzy rises, Kihika is looking ahead with cautious hope.

“I hope our leaders will become more accountable. I want to see health facilities actually function, projects completed rather than launched, and basic services restored. As we approach campaign season, this is the year to do the work, not just the public relations,” she says.

Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara

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She hopes more women, especially young women, will seek leadership.

“What we are witnessing now is not the true representation of what women’s leadership can be. Women deserve opportunities to lead well, and when they do lead, they must also be held fully accountable for their mandate,” Kihika says.

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