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

Rashid Kassim is accused of slapping Fatuma Gedi, who sits on the budget committee, in the capital Nairobi.

A photo of Ms Gedi crying with blood in her mouth after the alleged assault has been shared widely on Twitter.

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 bill would have reserved one in three seats for women but not enough politicians showed up to vote on the controversial issue, with campaigners citing chauvinism.

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’. Hannah O’Neill and Louise Donovan report from Kiambu County.

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.

A new report published by NDI and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) highlights a number of important political gains made by women during the 2017 general elections.