Shaping 2027 and Beyond: ENAF, DTF and UN Women Evaluate Historic Gender Gains in Bungoma

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), alongside the Democracy Trust Fund and the UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office, successfully concluded a two-day evaluation mission in Bungoma County. The joint field assessment evaluated the long-term impact of the Ireland-funded Preserving and Expanding Gender Gains Programme, implemented across Bungoma and Vihiga Counties from 2023 to 2025. Designed as part of UN Women’s outgoing 2023–2026 Strategic Note review, the mission’s findings will directly inform strategic investment priorities for the upcoming 2027–2029 cycle.

During the mission, the delegation held high-level discussions with key county leadership, including Deputy Governor H.E. Pst. Janepher Mbatiany, Gender CECM Mr. Benedict Emachar, county gender officials, and Members of the County Assembly. To capture the full scope of the program’s impact, the team also conducted community focus groups with grassroots women and beneficiaries across various sub-counties. These discussions highlighted significant gains in women’s leadership capacity, civic engagement, and political readiness ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

The evaluation highlighted major milestones, including the launch of the Bungoma County Women’s Manifesto, the adoption of progressive gender, child protection, and disability policies, and the operationalization of the Women’s Leadership Pillar within the Intergovernmental Gender Sector Working Group. Building on these successes, ENAF and its partners will use the mission’s insights to help translate existing policy frameworks into enforceable regulations, securing sustainable governance measures for women’s empowerment across the region.