The cry of a group of women rent the air in Nakuru town early last month, sending shock down the spines of those who heard it.
"Auuuuuui!", one group would cry, and the other would respond, "wanawake tuokoe Kenya!" (women, let's save Kenya!)
The shrill cry had been adopted by the women to literally call public attention to the fact that they were cracking under the burden of immense needs.
History, as it were, repeats itself. Out of the oppression of a section of humanity, a lack of willingness to recognise their rights, comes a backlash.
Those women in Nakuru that morning walked from the Railway Station to Afraha Stadium to launch the Kenya Women's Manifesto.
But out of the country's 18 women MPs, only Dr Julia Ojiambo was with them. They were later joined by Mrs Jebii Kilimo, who arrived in the company of two male MPs - Mr Raila Odinga and Mr Ochillo Ayacko.
Own Parliament
A literary record in the 17th Century Ireland has it that men behaved badly and Ireland was undergoing a catastrophe. "The women took over, formed their own Parliament, and enacted various laws to better the condition of the people."
Back to Nakuru, all agreed that they knew the dangers facing women in Kenya and that to launch the manifesto, some anger was in order. And, with that anger, came the call for action. The manifesto was made by women from a cross-section of society facilitated by The League of Kenya Women Voters.
The Kenya Women's Manifesto is essentially a call for action. It refers to women's participation in the executive, the judiciary, the legislature and the civil society.
In it, women claim the right to equality as a human rights issue. They don't regard equality as something finally being given to them out of mercy, compassion, prayers and forgiveness but as something long delayed yet so important as to be "a condition for social justice".
Following in the style of the Ghanaian Women's Manifesto, the women say they wish to preach unity. Some people criticised the launch, claiming it was all about one political party.
However, the real issues are: Can women take the manifesto and run with it? Can they ask pertinent questions not only about parliamentary representation but why women are the majority in the lowest job groups and the minority in the highest job groups in this country?
Only 20 per cent of women earn more than Sh25,000 per month. About 58 per cent of all women employed in the modern sector are in the service industry, where men dominate the senior positions.
Women and health
According to the manifesto, in reference to women and health, "the proportion of pregnant women assisted to give birth by skilled health personnel declined from 51.5 in 1989 to 45 per cent in 1993. It dropped further to 42 per cent in 2003".
On women and HIV/Aids, the manifesto points out that the gender dimensions of the pandemic, coupled with women's illiteracy and inability to voice their concerns in a country where women are "second class citizens", is a shocker.
Women in the affirmation say they are alarmed, disturbed, dismayed and, "we therefore call upon the Government and all its institutions, political parties, NGOs and CBOs to adopt and work towards implementing the demands of this manifesto".
They are demanding that injustices be addressed right from access to education to their sexuality and how it relates to society.
These demands come at a time when the country is witnessing unprecedented levels of sexual violence.
In the manifesto, women argue that "the experience of sexual harassment has prevented women from realising their full potential. One out of 12 women are forced out of employment after being sexually harassed".
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