Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

1 month ago | nation.africa | Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

What you need to know:The physical brawl between two women legislators on parliamentary grounds represents an unacceptable betrayal of public trust and damages the hard-won progress of women in leadership. Female public figures who engage in undignified conduct, whether through physical altercations or inappropriate social media behaviour, undermine the aspirations of countless girls and women while giving ammunition to critics of gender equality in politics.

2 months ago | nation.africa | Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

In a bedroom secluded from the tens of mourners filling her living room, Caren Auma Odiyo's grief hangs heavy in the air. Yet as she begins to speak about her late husband, George Oduor—the man who shadowed opposition leader Raila Odinga for three decades—unexpected flashes of laughter punctuate her tears. Seated beside me on her bed, she unfolds a story not of politics or power, but of a deeply private man whose most profound loyalty was witnessed by few.

2 months ago | nation.africa | Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

Last week as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel interviews played out on our screens, I couldn't help but notice the stark imbalance: eight men, three women shortlisted for the chairperson position. And like clockwork, the familiar refrain emerged: "How will we ever achieve the two-thirds gender rule if women don't apply?" This question is tiring. It's not that women lack ambition—it's that they understand the price of it all too well.

2 months ago | nation.africa | Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

As a widow of 19 years, I intimately understand the myriad challenges widows face. I empathise with the deep-rooted injustices they confront daily. When I lost my husband, I vividly remember how I was exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally days leading to his burial. Then came an elderly woman, on the eve of his burial, demanding I spend the entire night seated next to his coffin, outside, in the cold. Why? Culture. That meaningless word thrown around to justify needless suffering. I refused.

2 months ago | nation.africa | Dorcas Muga-Odumbe

Dear Reader, This week, I'd like to address a question I'm often asked as Gender Editor: "Why does your desk focus more on women's and girls' stories than men's?" It's a fair question that deserves a thoughtful response. When our gender desk was established in 2019, we set out to mainstream gender reporting with a deliberate emphasis on women and girls. This wasn't a decision made lightly, but one grounded in data and a clear understanding of existing imbalances in media representation.