Digital Battlefield: Online gender violence haunts Nakuru’s women politicians

For a woman in politics, reputation means everything. It impacts both trust and support from communities her as well as self-confidence.

But in Nakuru, women leaders say technology that has opened doors for communication and public participation is increasingly being turned into a weapon against women.

Behind anonymous accounts, manipulated information and viral posts, women are being harassed, humiliated and bullied. And unlike a physical wound that may eventually heal, the damage caused online can remain long after the original post has disappeared.

Nakuru Woman Representative Liz Chelule knows the stakes.

She says a woman elected from the grassroots can be particularly vulnerable when false information is deliberately spread about her because communities may believe what they see or hear online before the truth catches up.

For Chelule, the consequences go beyond social media.

Once someone's name and reputation is damaged, the effects can reach their family, children, friends and political career. A woman who has been publicly humiliated may begin questioning whether she can still confidently stand before an audience and explain her manifesto.

“Very few will stand strong,” she said, describing how some victims struggle to recover their confidence after sustained online attacks.

The attacks can also take a deeply personal turn.

Elga Riaga, Nakuru County Executive Committee Member in charge of Youth, Sports, Gender, Social Services and Inclusivity, said women leaders are often attacked through their sexuality when perpetrators want to discredit them.

Instead of debating a woman's policies, competence or record, attackers resort to allegations and discussions about her private life.

“Sexuality should not be and has never been a tool for demeaning people. Voters should judge leaders based on their ability and manifestos rather than their gender or private lives,” Riaga Said.

Yet for survivors, the journey does not end when an abusive post is reported.

Riaga said Kenya has constitutional protections and laws addressing gender-based violence, but implementation remains a major challenge. She questioned why some GBV cases can take years to conclude, arguing that lengthy court processes can exhaust survivors and delay justice.

According to the county official women at the grassroots may not know that sharing their photographs without consent is a form of abuse. She recalled situations where photographs taken during domestic disputes are circulated online and eventually go viral, leaving the victim wondering who took the image and why it was posted.

For women without smartphones or access to social media, the abuse can happen without their knowledge.

“Some women are not aware, stressing the need to take information about rights and reporting mechanisms on tech facilitated GBV to communities,” Riaga said

Nkatha Mugao the founder and Executive Director of Frolics of Hope Africa, said her organization provides survivors with psychosocial support, counselling, psychiatric referrals and legal aid.

From last year to this year, the organization had handled about 87 cases, she said.

The most rewarding part, Mogao said, is seeing survivors regain confidence and eventually become strong enough to support other people who have experienced online violence.

But the problem begins much earlier for many women, at a point when they do not even realize they have been violated.

The women leaders called for stronger community sensitization, quicker justice processes, better implementation of existing laws and greater involvement of men in tackling GBV.

Chelule urged women leaders, religious leaders, Nyumba Kumi leaders, businesspeople and ordinary residents to report abuse whether online or physical and help prevent violence before it escalates.

 “There may be no bruises, no broken windows and no crime scene. But the consequences can follow a survivor into her home, workplace, family and community. Therefore, the fight for safety must now extend beyond the physical impact, into exploring the digital spaces where reputations can be destroyed with a single post, a photograph or an anonymous account,” she noted.

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