Female MPs Form New Caucus To Push For Women’s Land Rights

Female legislators in Kenya have launched a new caucus dedicated to championing women’s land rights.

The Kenya Women Parliamentarians Sub-Caucus on Women’s Land Rights was unveiled today during a breakfast meeting in Nairobi. The move follows resolutions made at a regional forum convened by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in July, which encouraged the creation of parliamentary caucuses to advance women’s rights across member states.

At the IGAD meeting held from July 9–11, women lawmakers from across the region agreed that such caucuses would play a key role in influencing both national and continental agendas on women’s land and property rights.

The Kenyan sub-caucus will operate under the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) and is expected to drive advocacy, promote experience sharing, and strengthen networking among female legislators.

During today’s session, Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo was elected as the Chairperson, while Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian was chosen as the Vice Chairperson.

KEWOPA Chairperson and Kajiado MP Leah Sankaire congratulated the new leaders, promising full support from the association.
“The Parliamentary sub-caucus is not going to be about us as lawmakers, but it will fight for the rights of the ordinary women of Kenya, the children of Kenya, our girls, and our generations to come,” she said.
“Congratulations to the members that will be spearheading this caucus. We have a lot of faith in you that you will steer this up and scale it up so that the women of Kenya can actually benefit from our time,” she added.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Gogo thanked her colleagues for trusting her with the role, saying she was ready for the task.
“Thank you for giving me the responsibility to serve humanity in the capacity of following up on women’s rights to land and other freedoms. When we pursue land rights for women, we are pursuing freedom for women,” she said.
“For the responsibility you have given me, I want to say I have accepted it with honour and grace. This Sub-Caucus should be capacitated so that it continues existing even beyond this 13th Parliament,” she added.