The socio-political implication of participation and representation of Aembu women in political leadership in Embu County, Kenya, between 1952 and 2017

Abstract

This study examined the sociopolitical ramifications of Aembu women's participation and representation in Kenya's political leadership up to 2017. Written history has documented male dominance in politics but not the involvement of women. The underrepresentation of women in political institutions, particularly among the Aembu of Kenya, has also received little from academics. The study was based on the assumption that Embu women participated in political leadership representation up until 1963, were represented in political leadership up until 1991, and were still represented in political leadership after Section 2A of the Kenyan Constitution was repealed. The technique for the study was a descriptive research design. The study was conducted at Mbeere in Embu. The snowballing technique was used to choose a deliberate sample of the respondents. A random sample of 50 Mbeere residents were interviewed. To guarantee the neutrality and trustworthiness of the study, oral sources, archival sources, and secondary sources were all utilised as data sources. Primary data was gathered utilising an interview schedule and from the national archives, whilst secondary data was acquired through thorough literature searches for trustworthy papers. According to the study's findings, increasing the presence of women among the Aembu calls for both regulatory changes and making sure the two-thirds gender rule is adhered to. The study concluded that the participation and representation of women in political leadership have had significant social and political implications in Embu County. This study has helped the political historiography of the area.