The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) has urged political parties to strengthen their internal structures and equip women aspirants with the skills and support needed to compete fairly in the 2027 General Election.
FIDA-Kenya said political parties should invest in capacity-building programmes for women aspirants and representatives of women’s, youth and persons with disabilities (PWD) leagues to promote inclusive participation in party decision-making and electoral processes.
In a statement issued on October 14, 2026, FIDA-Kenya Chairperson Christine Kungu said women needed more than formal opportunities to contest elective positions, noting that they must also understand party structures, nomination procedures and mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
“Women must have the knowledge, practical support and institutional backing needed to navigate party processes and compete fairly,” the organisation said.
The call comes as political parties prepare their election and nomination rules ahead of the 2027 polls, with FIDA-Kenya warning that limited capacity among women aspirants and party league representatives could undermine efforts to improve women's political representation.
The organisation said an engagement with political parties in Kisumu County on October 7 highlighted gaps in women's understanding of party structures, nomination procedures and strategies for advancing their representation.
FIDA-Kenya has been engaging political parties on gender-responsive election and nomination rules, women's leadership, inclusive decision-making and measures to prevent sexual harassment, political intimidation and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
The organisation said practical support was necessary to help women participate effectively in party decision-making, pursue elective positions and understand the procedures for lodging nomination-related grievances.
According to the Women’s Political Participation and Leadership Final Report: Kenya Assessment, published by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2023, women accounted for only 12.18 per cent, or 1,962, of the 16,100 candidates cleared to contest in the 2022 General Election.
FIDA-Kenya said the figures reflected persistent social and institutional barriers affecting women's participation in politics.
However, the organisation cautioned that capacity gaps were not the sole explanation for women's underrepresentation, stressing the need to address broader social inequalities and structural barriers within political parties.
It called on parties to establish sustained mentorship programmes and information-sharing mechanisms to prepare women to compete for elective positions and participate meaningfully in political leadership.
The organisation also urged political parties to review their nomination rules to ensure the procedures are transparent, accessible, gender-responsive and consistent with constitutional requirements on equality and non-discrimination.
Another concern raised by FIDA-Kenya was technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which it said threatened women's safety and participation in electoral processes.
The organisation cited its 2022 Election Sexual Gender-Based Violence Report, which found that 52 per cent of sexual and gender-based violence cases documented across Kenya involved online violence.
It urged political parties to establish accessible and trusted mechanisms for reporting and addressing sexual harassment, political intimidation and online abuse, alongside appropriate referral and follow-up arrangements.
FIDA-Kenya further called for women's, youth and PWD leagues to be actively involved in reviewing nomination procedures, identifying barriers to participation and monitoring the implementation of party commitments on inclusion.
The organisation said strengthening women's political leadership required institutional reforms and practical measures that would allow women to compete on a more equal footing with their male counterparts.
It noted that the Constitution provides a legal foundation for promoting gender equality in political participation.
Article 27 guarantees equality and freedom from discrimination, while Article 81(b) establishes the principle that no more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies should be of the same gender.
Article 91 sets out requirements for political parties, including adherence to democratic principles and respect for gender equality and equity. Article 100 calls for legislative measures to promote the representation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, ethnic and other minorities, and marginalised communities.
FIDA-Kenya said political parties had an opportunity to translate these constitutional obligations into practice as they finalised their rules for the next electoral cycle.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has set October 16, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to submit their election and nomination rules. Certification is expected by October 30, with submission to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission scheduled for November 6.
FIDA-Kenya said investing in women's capacity and strengthening accountability within political parties would be essential to making internal party processes more inclusive and advancing meaningful representation ahead of the 2027 General Election.