Fierce, vocal and an astute debater, Alice Muthoni Wahome is among the women politicians in Kenya who can hardly go unnoticed in the public domain.
Born in 1959, Alice Wahome attended Karumu Primary School and Siakago Girls High School before enrolling at the University of Nairobi, where she earned a Bachelors of Law degree.
She later completed her Advocates Training program at the Kenya School of Law.
She is a politician and lawyer and one of Deputy President William Ruto's close confidants.
As the DP's confidant, she strongly believes in his political cause.
She says Raila Odinga is not a problem at all but only hopes President Uhuru will be ready to accept the election results.
The President has publicly declared his support for Raila to succeed him.
In 2013, she became the first female MP for Kandara, breaking the odds of becoming one out of the 16 women who were elected as MPs against 274 men.
In 2017 she was re-elected under the Jubilee party and is now seeking a third term.
Wahome is married to Godfrey Wahome Ngayu, a gynaecologist with whom they have four children; three daughters and a son.
In an interview with the Star at her home in Nairobi, Wahome opens up on the country’s current political wave and her political paths.
Why politics and not any other ‘normal’ occupation?
There were and still are many gaps on gender which I saw and was able to experience as a lawyer.
As a member of the Law Society of Kenya where I sat as a counsel member between 1999 and 2001, I was involved in a lot of women empowerment training.
I served at Fida as their vice chairperson and was also Chief Justice Martha Koome's vice chairperson at Fida in the same period until when I left to join politics in 2002.
Those years it was intensive and there was a ‘climate change' for youth and women.
The leadership that was there that made people root for multi-party democracy did not have space for women and I saw it as an opportunity to be the start that space for women.
Several MPs serving their second terms have set their eyes on perceived higher seats, are you following suit?
I will be defending my seat. Other opportunities may come maybe there after, but as for this particular term, I want to defend the seat for Kandara constituency.
Thereafter, there are still opportunities, like those of the governor and the president of the Republic of Kenya.
There are still more opportunities for women and I am very proud to have achieved that.
We are only 23 women elected in constituencies without affirmative action and you can see how badly that Parliament is. It has always had six to eight women even when they were 188.
You were part of DP's delegation to the US, would say the trip achieved its objective?
We achieved 85-90 per cent of the objectives of the visit. Our strategy was to expose our candidate to the international arena and engage the world because Kenya does not operate in a vaccum.
Both the UK and the US are very important partners in terms of our policy, international trade and even development.
What's your relationship with Uhuru?
I have no relationship with the President. He was my party leader until my resignation from Jubilee last week.
At a personal level, we have no relationship.
I voted for him two times and had expectations from him, but the whole of this second term he has run the show alone.
Even those who have remained in Jubilee tell us that the President is still not accessible and cannot be able to establish a personal relationship with him.
What's your take on the Azimio la Umoja and Uhuru's involvement in it?
One of the messages we left for Raila in the US-UK tour is that this time, he must accept results when they are finally announced.
I think the President should also be ready to accept the results. Raila may not have a problem but speaking for myself as Kandara MP, the President is trying to succeed himself through Raila.
Two years ago I said that Uhuru intends to use Raila as a special purpose vehicle for his continuity.
This was evident when he spoke at the Jubilee National Delegates Conference and recent meetings where called for the unity of the county.
What is your take on the revival of Jubilee Party?
There is no revival. Jubilee ha suffered a very big loss because parties lose their MPs through the electoral process but not evictions by the party leader.
This has never happened. MPs quit parties when they feel the party is not strong or losing in certain areas.
But it has never happened that the party leader is allowing and planting his own sycophants to be the ones to weaken and destabilise the party.
Then you come tell us that all small parties will be brought together under Jubilee under the same leadership? Jubilee is going nowhere.
You have been highly mentioned as one of the people Ruto could chose as running mate, are there any discussions and would you take the job?
When I look at the position I occupy in terms of our team (UDA) and now the Kenya Kwanza team, I still have a big opportunity to land that position.
However, it is based on two fronts: One is the confidence of colleagues and the other is that of the voters because you cannot ignore that they have a say.
The voters want a deputy president they love, one they feel has fully dedicated herself/himself to the hustler nation ideology.
The most important, however, is that you need the trust of the presidential candidate because Ruto’s decision is very crucial.
I can only say that I am well positioned, but that decision is to be made possibly after consultation with other partners like ANC and Ford Kenya. This is a decision we will make in the next two weeks or latest, May.
But a presidential aspirant that is very keen must give us a woman the running mate position. Azimio has women with equal abilities to deputise a presidential candidate.
Had you not been a lawyer and politician what other thing would you be doing?
I have never thought about that. I did not become a lawyer by mistake. I was in Bishop Gatimu Girls and, when it came time to tick the professions, I chose to be a lawyer. One of the Sisters persuaded me to change to become a teacher but I still declined. I haven’t seen myself in any other profession, I love being a lawyer and a politician.
Do you think you are controversial?
I think people say I am no nonsense (laughing). Sometimes, I could be controversial but I think I have done well for myself and I am very grateful for the people of Kandara for giving me the opportunity to serve them.
I can tell you I am coming back with a bang. This time, Mt Kenya is supporting Ruto.
The history of Kandara is that they are controversial people. From the days of Bildad Kaggia and Charles Rubia. We are people who have secured our place in the liberation of this country.
Our first priority is the people, not wealth and property.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
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