Kenyan politics has a way of humbling even the loudest convictions. One minute, a seat is being dismissed as redundant and unnecessary. The next minute, once someone’s preferred candidate shows interest, it becomes strategic, essential, and worth mobilizing entire voting blocs for.
That’s the theatre we’ve normalized.
Nowhere is that unfolding more vividly than in Vihiga County.
For months, the Woman Rep race appeared predictable a familiar rematch between Winnie Majani of Usawa Mashinani and Hon. Afandi Violet Bagada, popularly known as Mama Fire. Both were on the ballot in 2022. Both carry name recognition. Both seemed poised to renew their rivalry.
But 2026 has rewritten the script.
The entry of Damaris Kayugira, the current Chairperson of Mulembe Women (Vihiga Chapter), has fundamentally altered the equation and not just by adding another name to the ballot. She has shifted the centre of gravity.
Unlike flash-in-the-pan excitement, Damaris represents something deeper: sustained grassroots presence, structured networks, and relationships built quietly over time. She understands the county’s internal mechanics because she has been part of them. That kind of candidacy doesn’t make noise for a week — it steadily unsettles established calculations.
And that’s precisely why she is emerging as an early favourite.
Her calm demeanour, accessibility, and willingness to listen are resonating strongly at the grassroots. In a political climate often dominated by fiery rhetoric and personality clashes, Damaris offers a refreshing contrast. She engages without theatrics. She consults. She listens. That consistency is building quiet momentum the kind that wins elections.
Winnie Majani
For Majani and Bagada, this development should not be taken lightly.
Having run before, both now carry the burden of familiarity. Voters remember past campaigns, promises, strengths, and weaknesses. In politics, name recognition is powerful — but so is monotony. Fresh energy excites the electorate, and new narratives tend to capture imagination.
The entrance of new faces injects enthusiasm into the race, and among them, Damaris appears to be consolidating influence more strategically than most.
Of course, the field is broader. Amakove Wala brings social media visibility and youthful vibrancy, particularly targeting the Bunyore bloc as a potential launchpad. Visibility is valuable — but elections are won in polling stations, not timelines. Converting online admiration into structured county-wide votes remains a different test altogether.
Meanwhile, Damaris’ approach is less about viral moments and more about village conversations.
And in Vihiga, that matters.
For Damaris Kayugira, fondly known as Ticha Dama, her clarion call — “Sauti ya Mama, Nguvu ya Jamii” — is currently resonating strongly with the masses, reinforcing her image as a grounded and community-driven leader.
What makes this race particularly compelling is that it is no longer a predictable two-horse contest. It is now a competitive arena where strategy, networks, timing, and perception will determine the outcome.
But as things stand, one reality is becoming difficult to ignore: Damaris Kayugira is not just participating — she is positioning.
She is positioning as the calm alternative.
She is positioning as the accessible leader.
She is positioning as the candidate who listens.
Whether the momentum holds or shifts again — as Kenyan politics often does — remains to be seen.
One thing, however, is certain:
The Vihiga Woman Rep race is no longer about who ran before.
It is about who is connecting now.
And whatever way it goes, Vihiga’s women race is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing political contests in the county’s recent history.
Filed by our Vihiga County Correspondent. Additional reporting by Mwalimu Duncan Kegode.
