From Where I Stand: “I Refused to Let Patriarchy Define My Potential.”

"My name is Dr. Reginalda Wanyonyi. I am a former Woman Representative of Bungoma County, a leader, an educator, and an advocate for women’s rights. Before joining politics, I spent many years in academia, earning a Ph.D. and serving as a lecturer and Head of Department at Moi University. I loved teaching, but deep inside, I felt there was a larger battle I needed to join.

The turning point came when I met a widow who had been chased away from her home after the death of her husband. She was a mother of six children and had nowhere to go. I remember her standing near her husband’s grave, crying and asking him why he had left her to suffer. Watching her pain awakened something in me. Around the same time, I was fighting my own battle to reclaim my grandmother’s land, a struggle that took ten years. These experiences made me realize that if women’s voices were to be heard and their rights protected, we needed to be at the decision-making table.

That realization pushed me into politics.

Entering politics in my community was not easy. Bungoma is deeply patriarchal, and many people openly questioned whether a woman should hold leadership positions. Some would ask, ‘How can you vote for a woman?’ Others believed leadership belonged to men. But I was determined. I was not entering politics to fight men; I wanted to participate in making laws and policies that could improve the lives of women, children, and entire communities.

Winning the seat was a significant milestone, but it also taught me that leadership for women comes with unique challenges. Even when women are elected, cultural barriers remain. Many women still cannot independently decide their political future without seeking approval from men. This reality showed me that achieving gender equality requires changing mindsets at the community level.

During my time in office, I focused on delivering results. I have always believed in thinking outside the box. One of my proudest achievements was establishing the Bungoma County Women’s SACCO, which helped thousands of women access economic opportunities. We supported more than 6,000 women’s groups with seeds, goats, and dairy animals to strengthen their livelihoods.

Education was another priority. I was among the women leaders who advocated for the establishment of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF). Through the fund, we built 38 secondary schools and increased bursary allocations for day scholars, helping more children stay in school and complete their education.

I was also passionate about ending gender-based violence. Through awareness campaigns, advocacy, and support services, we saw significant reductions in teenage pregnancies and incest cases over five years. We established a rescue centre for survivors and worked with communities to challenge harmful practices that continue to affect women and girls.

As our work gained visibility, I began to notice resistance. Many male leaders felt threatened by the changes we were making. Some had held leadership positions for decades, and they viewed my achievements as a challenge to their authority. Instead of celebrating development, they saw it as competition.

I often felt that some people were comfortable with women in leadership only if those women remained silent and did not challenge the status quo. They wanted a woman who would simply occupy a position, not one who would actively deliver results. But I could never be that person. I believed leadership was about service, accountability, and transformation.

Over time, I came to understand that competence can sometimes become a threat in spaces where power has traditionally belonged to men. Women who lead with integrity and independence are often labelled as difficult or too ambitious. Yet these are the very qualities that effective leadership requires.

Despite the challenges, I do not regret entering politics. My journey taught me that the fight for women’s political participation is about much more than winning elections. It is about changing attitudes, breaking stereotypes, and creating opportunities for future generations of women leaders.

Today, my message to women is simple: do not allow cultural barriers or negative perceptions to define your potential. Leadership is not determined by gender; it is determined by vision, courage, and commitment to serve.

I believe communities must continue to learn about the value that women bring to leadership. When women are given equal opportunities, entire societies benefit. We need more women of integrity and competence in decision-making spaces, and we need communities that are willing to support them.

I remain hopeful that the next generation of women leaders will face fewer barriers than my generation did. The journey may be difficult, but change is possible when women refuse to give up and continue to claim their rightful place in leadership."

A joint initiative on women’s political participation and leadership, implemented in Bungoma by UN Women in partnership with Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), with support from the Government of Ireland, sought to strengthen women’s leadership, participation, and influence in governance processes while promoting inclusive and gender-responsive decision-making.