A section of Women MPs condemn Gachagua over alleged attacks on women leaders, calling for respectful and issue-based politics. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
Women Members of Parliament have condemned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over what they described as a sequence of gender-based political violence, intimidation and attacks targeting women leaders and women associated with political opponents.
The 15 Members of Parliament who addressed Journalists at Parliament buildings said that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into personal attacks, humiliation or the targeting of women because of their gender, marital status or political affiliations.
Nairobi County MP Esther Passaris said that legislators were particularly concerned about remarks and conduct they attributed to Gachagua, stating that women leaders should be judged on their policies, decisions and performance rather than their gender or personal circumstances.
“We are concerned over the conduct of the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, where he has on several occasions singled out innocent women leaders and women spouses, drawing them into unnecessary political confrontations,” said Passaris.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi said that there are several incidents in which Gachagua illustrated a pattern of abuses which includes an alleged verbal attack against Nyandarua County MP Faith Gitau, who has accused the former DP of referring to her as a witch.
Elachi said that such kind of language from a leader of Gachagua’s calibre amounted to gender-based humiliation rather than legitimate political criticism, stating that Women leaders should be challenged on their policies, performance, ideas and not their morality, sexuality or womanhood.
Migori County MP Fatuma Mohammed pointed to an incident in April involving Mwea MP Mary Maingi during a burial ceremony in Mwea where Gachagua, while addressing mourners by phone, reportedly described Ms Maingi as a “traitor of the community.”