EAST AFRICA/TANZANIA: Road to Parliament Proves Bumpy for Women

Dar Es Salaam — Women have continued to lag behind in elective posts as shown by the General Election results announced by yesterday evening, with only nine women having won parliamentary seats so far. Among them there are five who have retained their seats and four new candidates who have defeated their opponents.

Out of these there are only two from the Opposition; Ms Halima Mdee, who has won the Kawe seat on a Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) ticket and Ms Zaituni Buyogeta, who was running on an NCCR-Mageuzi ticket in Manyovu Constituency in Kigoma Region. Other new women faces include Salme Mwambu, who won the Iramba East seat and Faith Mtambo who emerged victorious in Liwale. They are all from CCM.

Women whose attempts to go back to Parliament became a cropper included Dr Batilda Burian who was defeated by Mr Godbless Lema in Arusha Urban; Ms Gertrude Mongella, whose bid to defend Ukerewe seat failed and Ms Monica Mbega who was trying her luck in Iringa Urban Constituency.

Old timers who have bounced back in parliament include Dr Lucy Nkya, who in the past Parliament was serving as a Special Seats MP. She won the Morogoro South East seat. Another is Hawa Ghasia, who successfully defended her Mtwara Rural seat. Ms Ghasia also serves as a minister of State in the President's Office in charge of Public Service Management.

The list of old timers is also made up of Mariam Kasembe, who won Masasi Constituency in Mtwara Region. In the last Parliament, she was a Special Seats MP. There is also Lolensia Bukwimba, who has defended her Busanda seat. She served in the constituency in the last parliament after winning during a hotly-contested by-election following the death of a CCM MP last year.

Outspoken Same East MP, Ms Anne Kilango, also bounced back to Parliament after successfully defending her seat. She won the seat for the first time five years ago and went on to establish herself as one of the most vocal MPs in the House. Ms Anna Makinda, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, also makes the new list of women MPs after winning Njombe South seat unopposed.

Former UN Habitat boss Anna Tibaijuka will alsomake the list of women MPs in the new Parliament after sailing through unopposed in Muleba South Constituency. Another woman who has defended her seat successfully is the minister for Industries, Trade and Marketing, Dr Mary Nagu, who garnered 34,338 votes, defeating a human rights activist Rose Camili who received 21,986.

The strong foray by Chadema into Hanang politics was partly attributed to the disputed ex-Nafco wheat farms which Ms Camili had unsuccessfully agitated for over the years, to be handed over to landless cattle herders. Until recently, Ms Camili was said to be the wife of Chadema presidential candidate Willibrod Slaa. She defected to Chadema shortly before the election campaigns began three months ago, after serving as a CCM councillor for over 10 years.