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Women legislators are rooting for Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga to fill one of the vacant positions in the Orange party following the nomination of Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho to the Cabinet.

This is after Oparanya and Joho resigned from their positions as ODM’s Deputy Party leaders, paving way for cut throat competition from Raila Odinga’s lieutenants.

The two positions have attracted party stalwarts Wanga her Mombasa counterpart Abdulswamad Shariff, Paul Otuoma (Busia), Simba Arati (Kisii), Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Likoni lawmaker Mishi Mboko.

So fierce is the competition that has now seen each contender devising ways to outdo each other to gain traction ahead of the party’s Central Committee meeting which is chaired by party leader Raila Odinga.

Wanga contends that for a long time, the top echelons of the party have been male-dominated and it is high time the Orange party walks the talk in supporting women leadership and giving one of the deputy party positions to a woman.

The Women lawmakers drawn from Azimio la Umoja affiliate parties, demanded for consideration of Wanga for the slot, decrying that top organs in the political outfit, including the Central Management Committee, has failed on the two third gender rule threshold.

New restructuring

“We are going to see a restructuring at the top. In the new restructuring, we need one a woman on the table and we are consulting the leadership,” said Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu.

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko boasted of Wanga’s record of accomplishment as Homabay Governor adding that in her tenure as ODM chairperson in Homabay County, the party has grown in leaps and bounds.

“As women we are saying in the changes we must have a woman. He will be in the decision making and voice affirmative group issues,” charged Mboko.

Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda who hails from KANU party, one of the affiliate parties within Azimio Coalition, emphasized need for top organs within political outfits to welcome women leadership.

“We want the boys club to have a woman in it. During briefing, we see them in grey and black suits. We want women to be in top leadership and it should be automatic without press briefings,” she said.
She went on: “It’s not about tokenism and we don’t doubt her competence. We are saying she is capable and we have seen her record as a governor and will not doubt bring fresh ideas.”

Yesterday the party’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna clarified that the Central Committee will nominate persons suitable for the positions after which the names will be sent to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC).