POLITICAL PARTY INTERNAL GOVERNANCE AND WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN COMPETITIVE POLITICS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

HOPE JANET NANDWA; FELIX KIRUTHU

doi:10.61426/rjssh.v7i1.559

HOPE JANET NANDWA Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
FELIX KIRUTHU, PhD Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya

DOI: https://doi.org/10.61426/rjssh.v7i1.559

Keywords: Political Party Internal Governance, Women Participation, Political Parties, Gender Inclusion, Women Leadership

Abstract

Women participation in political parties remains a critical concern in democratic governance despite the existence of legal and institutional frameworks promoting gender equality. In Kenya, women continue to experience limited representation within political party leadership and decision-making structures. This study examined the influence of political party internal governance on women participation in political parties in Nairobi City County, Kenya. A descriptive research design was adopted. The study was anchored on African Feminist Theory and Institutional Theory, which provided a framework for understanding gender inclusion and institutional governance within political parties. The target population comprised 1,000 women leaders, political party officials, representatives of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, and aspiring female politicians within Nairobi City County. Stratified sampling was used to categorize respondents into the four stakeholder groups, while purposive sampling was used to select respondents with relevant knowledge and experience. A sample size of 286 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS Version 26 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that political party internal governance had a significant positive influence on women participation in political parties. This positive direction indicates that more inclusive internal governance structures were associated with increased women participation, while exclusionary governance practices could constrain their participation. Internal governance characterized by fair nomination procedures, women representation in executive structures, and active women leagues was associated with improved leadership representation, nomination opportunities, and involvement of women in political decision-making processes. The study concludes that inclusive governance structures within political parties are essential for promoting meaningful participation of women in politics. The study recommends strengthening transparent nomination procedures, increasing women representation in party executive committees, and institutionalizing gender-inclusive governance structures within political parties.

Author Biographies

HOPE JANET NANDWA, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya

FELIX KIRUTHU, PhD, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya

References

Aderayo, A. (2021). Political party structures and women’s political advancement in West Africa. Journal of African Elections, 20(2), 45–62.

Aggarwal, R., & Ranganathan, P. (2019). Study designs: Part 2 – Descriptive studies. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 10(1), 34–36.

Berry, M. E., Bouka, Y., & Kamuru, M. M. (2020). Implementing inclusion? Gender quotas, inequality, and backlash in Kenya. Politics & Gender, 17(4), 640–664.

Burnet, J. E. (2019). Women’s political leadership in Rwanda. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics.

DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.

Gatto, M. (2025). Candidate selection, party elites, and women’s underrepresentation in political parties. Party Politics, 31(1), 44–58.

Ghai, Y. (2021). Kenya’s constitution: An instrument for change. Katiba Institute.

Haug, M., Bratten, B., & Karlsen, R. (2020). Patriarchal party systems and women’s political exclusion. Politics & Gender, 16(3), 561–583.

Kairanbayeva, Z., & Zhantoreyeva, D. (2024). Gender equality and women political participation in contemporary democracies. Journal of Gender Studies, 33(2), 211–225.

Kamau, N. (2018). Women and political leadership in Kenya: Ten case studies. Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

Klasen, S., & Minasyan, A. (2021). Gender quotas and women’s political participation in Africa. Feminist Economics, 27(1–2), 219–245.

Kidanie, H., & Hailu, T. (2024). Political party inclusion practices and women participation in Ethiopia’s 2021 elections. African Journal of Political Science, 18(1), 77–95.

Lebediuk, V., & Moroziuk, O. (2024). Political party nomination systems and women exclusion in electoral politics. Journal of Political Marketing, 23(1), 55–74.

Madsen, S. R. (2023). Gendered institutional norms and women’s political leadership advancement. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 38(6), 725–741.

Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Acts Press.

Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2009). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches (Rev. ed.). Acts Press.

Mufti, M., & Jalalzai, F. (2021). Reserved seats and women political participation in Pakistan. Politics & Gender, 17(3), 445–470.

Nyadera, I. N., & Kisaka, S. (2019). Political party structures and women political participation in Africa. African Journal of Democracy and Governance, 6(2), 88–105.

Nyambura, L. (2024). Women representation in Nairobi County after the 2022 elections. African Journal of Governance, 12(1), 101–118.

Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). (2023). Annual political parties status report. ORPP.

Ogundipe-Leslie, M. (1994). Re-creating ourselves: African women & critical transformations. Africa World Press.

Ogunbodede, E. F. (2023). Women participation in political parties and democratic governance. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 13(1), 15–29.

Ohmura, T. (2023). Power-seeking, networking and competition: Why women are disadvantaged in party politics. West European Politics, 46(5), 1007–1031.

Okoth, G. (2021). Gender mainstreaming in political party processes in Kenya’s Nyanza region. Journal of African Political Studies, 14(2), 66–84.

Perehudoff, K. (2020). Gender quotas and women parliamentary representation in Sweden. Scandinavian Political Studies, 43(4), 398–416.

Prihatini, E. S., & Halimatusa’diyah, I. (2024). Women political support initiatives and party institutionalization in emerging democracies. Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 30(1), 56–74.

Santucci, J., Verge, T., & Espírito-Santo, A. (2023). Gender equality legislation and women political representation in Spain. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 6(2), 185–204.

Springer, S., Klein, M., & Ludecke, D. (2024). Gender quotas and women political ambition in Germany. Political Research Quarterly, 77(1), 144–160.

Steady, F. C. (1981). The black woman cross-culturally. Schenkman Publishing Company.

United Nations (UN). (2020). Beijing declaration and platform for action. United Nations.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2023). Women’s political participation in Africa report 2023. UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.

Wainaina, E. (2017). Political violence and women participation in politics in Kenya. African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review, 7(2), 89–108.

Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper and Row.