• Pareiyo, 66, beat a strong field of six men to win the Narok North MP seat on a Jubilee ticket in a tightly contested race.
• Narok county has never produced a woman member of Parliament since independence.
Image: KIPLANGAT KIRUI
Renowned anti-FGM crusader Agnes Mantaine Pareiyo is the first woman in Narok county to win a parliamentary seat.
Pareiyo, 66, beat a strong field of six men to win the Narok North MP seat on a Jubilee ticket in a tightly contested race.
She garnered 20,821 votes against her closest challenger, Martin Kamwaro, who ran on an independent ticket with 18,852 votes.
ODM’s Allan Meingati was third after getting 8,828 votes ahead of Kirimpuoti Sadera of UDA, who had 9,248 votes.
Independent candidate Kaitikei Rotiken was fifth with 8,138 votes as nominated MCA Naanyu Masikonde of The Service Party of Kenya had 1,537 votes while Joseph Masindet of KANU garnered 308 votes.
The Maasai community has discriminated against women when it comes to leadership positions, thanks to the deeply rooted culture.
The move has forced many women to shy away from seeking leadership positions fearing stiff competition from men.
Narok county has never produced a woman member of Parliament since independence.
For close to six decades, the men folk have been in the forefront.
In the history of the community, only three women have defied odds to be elected as leaders in Narok county.
Surprisingly, the three were only elected as civic leaders and there are hardly any women who have ever been elected to parliament.
The three former civic leaders are the MP elect for Narok North Pareiyo, who was former vice chairperson of the defunct Narok county council and had represented Sakutiek ward.
Also Lorna Nkokuwa who had represented Ildamat ward and Lucy Ololngojine who represented Shurtuka ward in the former Transmara district.
Pareiyo said she contested for the seat so that she can help transform cultural ties that chain women and the youth to mere observers of governance.
The former anti-FGM board chairperson gave her acceptance speech at the tallying centre in Maasai Girls’ Secondary School on Thursday.
She resigned from the anti-FGM board in February to contest for the seat.
The new legislator started engaging in anti-FGM activities by challenging cultural practices and engaging with communities that propagate the procedure.
She instead suggested and demonstrated alternative rites of passage for young girls to undergo.
Pareiyo is the founder and director of the Tasaru Ntomonok Rescue Centre for young girls and campaigns against genital cutting.
She was named the United Nations Person of the Year in Kenya in 2005, for her work towards gender equality and women's empowerment.
The MP-elect is succeeding outgoing legislator Moitalel ole Kenta, who was vying for Narok governor on an ODM ticket.
Kenta served for two terms after defeating the former heritage minister William Ronkorua ole Ntimama in the 2013 polls.
Ntimama had controlled the seat and Maasai politics for close to a quarter of a century.
He beat the then powerful minister in the Office of the President Justus ole Tipis in 1988 and became former president Daniel Moi’s stalwart.
Tipis took over leadership of the constituency after defeating Moses ole Marima in 1974.
Marima was elected as the first MP for the seat in 1969.
Pareiyo’s win is a boost to the Jubilee party that has so far won seats in the six wards in Narok county.
The seats are Lolgorian, Olkurto, Melili, Ildamat, Keekonyie and Suswa.
The party has now proved to be the party to watch in the county.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)