A Kenyan MP has been arrested for allegedly slapping a female colleague because she did not allocate money to his constituency.

NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Low turnout scuppered a vote guaranteeing Kenyan women more seats in parliament on Wednesday, with campaigners saying it was “a dark day” for citizens in the east African nation.

The women-led movement of GROOTS Kenya is supporting women candidates – including by providing them with bodyguards and volunteer support in the form of Humphrey Muriuki Ngaine and his ‘male champions’.

A study by the United Nations on the issue of social media as implements of violence against women in elections estimated that 95% of aggressive behaviour, harassment, abusive language and denigrating images in online spaces are aimed at women.

Women in Africa are not generally found in leadership positions. Research shows that women are not perceived to have the skills, knowledge or social status needed to bring about meaningful change in post-conflict environments.