Marsabit county woman representative and National Assembly Deputy Majority Whip Naomi Waqo has received a major boost in her bid to vie for the governor's seat come 2027.
Waqo officially declared her bid for the governor's seat on Friday at an event held in Moyale.
Her declaration makes her the first woman in North Eastern to declare a bid for the Governor's seat.
The Woman Rep's bid was endorsed by a group of Borana community elders who gave her the blessings to try her luck.
She was blessed by the Fulele council of elders in the Borana community led by their leader.Abagadha Liban Jaldesa
Waqo termed the move by the Borana elder as a shot in the arm in her bid to seek the mandate come 2027
"This is a huge step for a woman to be blessed by elders that she is fit to vie for the governor's seat. I say thank you to them for recognising the women's leadership," she said.
Waqo noted that the blessing gives her the stage to rally support after which elders will decide who the community will back towards the electioneering period.
The endorsement ceremony saw hundreds of residents comprising more than 30 leaders, professionals, elders and the Business Community attend.
Jaldesa in his address said the Woman Rep had the potential to run for the county's top seat in the 2027 election.
He added that women should be given equal chances to go for governorship against their male counterparts.
"As elders, we did our assessment that the woman representative has the requisite credentials to lead the county as governor," he said
The Fulele clan president Galm Dabaso said male chauvinism has always prevented women from ascending to political power even if the person is a performer.
He said that the Fulele Council of Elders wants to enter into the book of history by endorsing a woman to officially run for the county top seat.
"It is high time our people avoided gender discrimination that deters them from electing a good governor. We are endorsing Naomi Jillo because she is capable of being a governor in 2027."
He said the time had come for the people to shun gender discrimination and the fallacy that women cannot lead in higher elective posts.
"We have tried and tested Naomi's leadership and concluded that she has the requisite credentials to lead the county as governor," he said
Fulele Secretary General Guyo Dida asked Marsabit residents to vote wisely and avoid male chauvinism which has become an obstacle to many women leaders.
"We are officially presenting Marsabit Women Representative Naomi Jillo to the community so that she can stand a chance to be elected the third governor," he said
He said as elders, they have shunned traditions that bar endorsement of women for certain seats.
"She has convinced us that once elected she will live in peace and harmony with a focus on development without discriminating against any community," he said
Also present at the event was President William Ruto's adviser on gender matters Harriet Chigai, Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris and Narok Woman rep Rebecca Tonkei
Chigai welcomed her endorsement saying it is a big step in promoting women's leadership in areas where they have been given the back seat.
"President William Ruto's government stands with women. He is keen to support women leadership and we are happy that today our fellow woman has received backing to go for the county's top seat," she said.
Tonkei on her part said the elders' blessing was a motivation to women leaders coming from pastoralist communities.
"This has given us the motivation and energy to believe that we have a future in women leadership," she said.
Passaris welcomed the endorsement saying Waqo has demonstrated good leadership abilities adding that there is a need to encourage more women to take leadership positions.
She lauded the community and elders for giving women leadership a chance noting that many of them who have been elected elsewhere have proved that women can deliver.
"She is the first in this region and I pray that this endorsement opens the path for many others," she said.
