A political battle is brewing in Bonchari after an unusual campaign giveaway—women’s underwear—triggered sharp exchanges among rival political camps ahead of the 2027 elections.
Women who attended a political gathering at Nyangoge Primary School expecting the familiar fare of campaign speeches, handshakes and promises instead received new underwear donated by Bonchari MP aspirant Donya Toto.
What some beneficiaries viewed as a practical gift has since become a political flashpoint, with Ms Toto’s rivals accusing her of reducing campaigns to handouts rather than presenting voters with substantive policies and development plans.
Toto, the incumbent Kisii Woman Representative, is seeking to shift her political base to Bonchari, where she hopes to unseat sitting MP Dr Charles Onchoke.
Among those positioning themselves for the seat is Jubilee Party aspirant Engineer Joshua Maragia, while renowned criminal lawyer Cliff Ombeta has also emerged as a prominent voice challenging what he describes as a culture of campaign giveaways.
But some women who received the underwear have dismissed the criticism, arguing that there was nothing unusual about giving women an item they actually need.
“It is something women need. If somebody gives you something useful, why should you reject it because it was given at a political meeting?” asked Penina Bosire, one of the women who attended the rally.
Happiness Kerubo said campaign donations were not new in Kenyan politics and questioned why the underwear had attracted such intense criticism.
“We were also given blankets, sewing machines, food and other things. This is just a piece of clothing, something we can use. It shouldn’t bother people,” she said.
The controversy intensified on Monday when Ombeta and some Jubilee Party aspirants descended on Nyamokenye and turned their attention to the donation.
Speaker after speaker criticised the gesture, arguing that voters should be offered ideas, development plans and sustainable economic opportunities rather than personal items.
The critics said the underwear donation risked crossing the line between campaign generosity and voter inducement.
Similar criticism came from Zachary Onduso, an MP aspirant in neighbouring Bomachoge Borabu, adding another voice to the growing debate over campaign handouts.
But the criticism has not been universally welcomed by women in Bonchari.
“Why should Toto be ashamed of giving women underwear? We are women and we use them. If they think it is not important, they should tell us what they have given women themselves,” said Moraa Oyoo, a supporter of Ms Toto.
Gladys Ayega, who attended the function at Nyamokenye, offered a different assessment, saying voters should demand more than temporary gifts from politicians.
“We don’t want leaders to remember us only when elections are approaching. We need jobs for our children, better roads, hospitals and support for our businesses. Underwear will not change our lives,” she said.
The contrasting views capture the unusual political terrain now unfolding in Bonchari.
To some women, the underwear is simply a useful household item that saves them the cost of making a purchase. To Ms Toto’s political rivals, however, the giveaway has become a symbol of what they describe as a campaign culture that reduces voters to recipients of handouts.
The controversy also highlights the broader challenge posed by Kenya’s gift-driven political campaigns, where donations can help candidates build goodwill while simultaneously providing opponents with political ammunition.
For Ms Toto, the row comes as she seeks to reposition herself from Kisii Woman Representative to Bonchari MP aspirant in a race expected to attract several high-profile contenders.
TSC recruitment sparks fresh political row
The underwear controversy was accompanied by a separate political storm over the allocation of Teachers Service Commission (TSC) appointment letters, with Borabu MP aspirant Moraa Kebaso and Nyaribari Masaba MP hopeful Bouse Mairura questioning the fairness of the recruitment process.
The two leaders raised concerns over what they described as skewed distribution of teaching opportunities.
Mairura, who is also the Masimba MCA, alleged that some appointment letters were being channelled through Members of Parliament in exchange for political support.
He said the alleged politicisation of teacher recruitment threatened merit and professionalism in Kenya’s education sector.
“The politicisation of TSC teacher recruitment and the alleged distribution of appointment letters through Members of the National Assembly in exchange for political support is a new low in Kenya’s education sector,” he said.
Mairura argued that teaching positions should be awarded through transparent and merit-based processes rather than being turned into political rewards.
“When teaching jobs become political currency, merit is sacrificed, professionalism is undermined, and the future of our children is compromised,” he said.
He called on the government to safeguard the independence of the TSC and ensure that recruitment is conducted fairly and transparently.
“Education should never be used as a tool for political patronage. Kenya deserves leaders who respect teachers, protect merit and understand that the quality of education today determines the quality of leadership tomorrow,” Mairura said at the Bonchari rally.
Mairura, who is seeking to become the Nyaribari Masaba MP in 2027, urged voters to demand accountability in the distribution of public employment opportunities.
Kebaso, meanwhile, questioned the ethnic composition of Kenya Defence Forces officers who recently graduated, raising concerns over regional representation within the country’s security institutions.
The two aspirants maintained that public employment should not be used to build political networks, insisting that government institutions must prioritise merit, fairness and equal opportunity over political loyalty.
The twin controversies—over campaign giveaways and alleged politicisation of public jobs—are likely to add another layer to the increasingly competitive political contests taking shape across the Kisii region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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