President William Ruto has hinted at the possibility of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the ruling party, fielding a female running mate in the future.
Speaking during the Women Governors’ Caucus G7 Strategy Summit in Nairobi, Ruto suggested that this move aligns with the UDA’s vision to promote gender parity within the party.
While not explicitly linking his statement to 2027, Ruto emphasized the importance of the new strategy and urged Cecily Mbarire, the UDA Chairperson, to mark the changes for future implementation.
“We must, as a party, lead from the front, and we must embed in our roots that when Rigathi Gachagua and myself reach the future and agree between ourselves,” stated Ruto.
Ruto further asserted that going forward, if a man is a presidential candidate for the party, the running mate must be a woman, and vice versa. He emphasized that these changes would also extend to other political positions, including gubernatorial seats.
While underscoring the significance of gender equality in party politics, Ruto clarified that the objective is not to diminish male contributions in the political arena. He urged leaders in other parties to adopt similar measures to enhance female participation in Kenyan politics.
“We must also cascade it down to the governors, and we must be intentional about it,” remarked the President.
“I know fellow party leaders in other parties will agree with us because I am sure the party leader in Wiper supported Wavinya, the party leader in ODM supported Gladys (Wanga), and all the other party leaders supported their women candidates.”
The G7 strategy launch aims to revolutionize women’s political participation in the country’s leadership, inspiring more women to engage in elective politics.
Research indicates that active involvement of women in public and political platforms contributes to resilient democracies, political stability, sustainable development, and economic progress.
