By Salwa mahmoud
Culture and religion are supposed to guide us, protect us, and give us dignity. They are meant to be the pillars of our identity. But in Lamu, just like in many other places, these same pillars have been turned into chains. They are used to silence women, to push them aside, and to deny them their rightful place in leadership and decision making.
For generations women have been told that their role is only in the kitchen, at home, and in silence. When they dare to rise, society responds with cruelty. On social media and in the marketplace, comments echo. “Ni haram kuongozwa na mwanamke.” “Mwanamke kazi yake ni jikoni, siyo siasa.” These are not just words. They are daggers meant to cut down ambition and to remind women of a place society wrongly fixed for them.
Yet reality has already proven these voices wrong. When women are given a chance, communities flourish. Look at Lamu East. For the first time, the people elected a female Member of Parliament. Many thought she would fail. Many expected her to be weak. Instead she has become a pilot of change. Her projects, her voice, and her boldness have brought life where silence once ruled. She has shown that leadership is not about gender. It is about courage, vision, and action.
Look at Shanga, where Mama Pweza has become a symbol of resilience. Through octopus farming and her swimming skills, she has broken the stereotype that women cannot lead in industries or skills dominated by men. Her work has brought income to families, inspired young girls, and reshaped how people view women’s potential. These are not small achievements. They are proof that when women rise, entire communities rise with them.
But the fight is far from over. Women are not only held back by men. Many times women themselves are taught to bring down other women. They say leadership is not for their fellow women. They say women must remain submissive. They say no woman should be above men. This twisted belief has been passed from generation to generation, poisoning minds and silencing dreams. It is painful to see a woman echo the very words that chain her. “Mwanamke hapaswi kuongoza, kazi yake ni kupika na kulea.”
Men also gang up to block women from political seats. Campaigns turn brutal. Propaganda is spread. Alliances are built with only one goal, to bring the woman down. They throw insults, question her morals, attack her family, and misuse religion and culture as weapons. This is not politics. It is intimidation. It is fear disguised as tradition.
The county government has not been innocent in this. Too often, women are placed in assistant positions. Roles meant to decorate rather than empower. Women are brought in to fill numbers, to tick boxes, but never truly trusted with the big decisions. This tokenism is another form of silencing. It tells women, you can sit at the table, but do not dare speak too loudly.
But despite all these barriers, women in Lamu are waking up. They are stepping into classrooms and excelling in education. They are entering politics and demanding seats at the decision making table. They are running businesses, big and small, showing that there is no work meant for men only. They are breaking into professions once dominated by men, from driving boats to leading community organizations, and proving every day that ability has no gender. In community meetings, more women are speaking up. In homes, more women are making decisions. In public life, more women are showing that leadership is not a gift for men, but a right for all.
Changing this narrative is not just about women. It is about the future of Lamu. When women are given space to lead, they bring balance, wisdom, and sustainability. They make decisions that touch families and communities in practical ways. They think about education, about health, about water, about food. They bring leadership that rises from lived experience. Denying them this space is not only injustice. It is foolishness. It robs the community of half its strength.
Imagine a Lamu where women are not set aside, not hidden behind men, not given token roles. Imagine a Lamu where women are recognized as leaders with capacity, with intelligence, with vision. Women can lead. They can spearhead initiatives. They can make strong decisions. They can raise the county’s flag high.
If culture and religion are truly meant to serve people, then let them serve with honesty. True culture does not silence women. True religion does not chain them. Both teach respect, dignity, and justice. Misusing them to keep women down is betrayal.
The examples are already before us. A female MP in Lamu East who has proven doubters wrong. A woman in Shanga who turned the ocean into opportunity. Countless others who are silently holding families, schools, and communities together. If given a platform, their impact would shake the county and their leadership would build a legacy stronger than many who claim power today.
The time has come to end the hypocrisy. The time has come to reject the lies that “ni haram kuongozwa na mwanamke” or that a woman’s place is only in the kitchen. The time has come to stand up and say clearly. Women are leaders. Women are visionaries. Women are the future.
Women taking leadership is not a curse. Women are not inferior in this male dominated and male chauvinistic community. This must come to an end. Women are powerful, and they can do wonders when given a chance.
Lamu cannot afford to silence half of its people anymore.
