Kah Walla has devoted her career to serving her fellow citizens in Cameroon. An active member of Cameroon’s Douala City Council since 2007, she has continually focused on promoting good governance, the rights of women and the rule of law in Cameroon. Since launching her own firm Strategies! 15 years ago, Walla has been recognized internationally as both a notable political figure and an entrepreneurial force in Cameroon. A current board member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, Walla was named one of seven women entrepreneurs in Africa to be profiled in the report Doing Business: Women in Africa in 2008. Walla has also gained an international reputation for her activism and in April she received the 2011 Vital Voices Global Leadership Award for Leadership in Public.

Walla’s lifelong activism and nationwide grassroots support led her to run in the October 2011 presidential election in Cameroon. Prior to the election, WDN sponsored Walla to attend the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University. The campaign school brings together women from all over the world to learn the skills and strategies to run a successful political campaign. The school is renowned for its rigorous curriculum and its full immersion of participants into the political leadership process. Walla noted, “The school is a wonderful opportunity for both U.S. and international women involved in politics and I am grateful that the IRI [International Republican Institute] made possible the opportunity for me to benefit from it. I am certainly taking home to Cameroon lessons that I think will benefit other women politicians.”

With support from the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP), Walla announced her candidacy on September 2 stating, “We have begun the final stretch in the battle to bring about change at the head of our nation in order to build a Cameroon that is leading the way. We all need to concentrate our energies and resources to succeed in this challenge.”

Walla’s initial efforts focused on a nationwide voter registration campaign. In the first month alone, the CPP was able to reach more than 500,000 Cameroonians through an issue advocacy campaign to raise awareness about the importance of registering to vote, and aided in the registration of 15,000 people by connecting them to registration centers.

Walla set up 45 campaign centers across the country, and along with CPP party leadership, regularly canvassed the country to meet with voters. The centers also identified and registered domestic election observers. With a slogan of “The Time is Now!” Walla’s campaign focused on putting the people of Cameroon first and calling them to build what she referred to as a new Cameroon. Walla’s campaign called for the economic strengthening of Cameroon through the creation of jobs, and a 10 percent growth of Cameroon’s gross domestic product by 2016. Walla’s platform also focused on ensuring education, equal opportunities, and clean and available drinking water for all citizens of Cameroon.

In spite of competing against 23 candidates, Walla obtained a notable percentage of the vote. Though she lost the race to Paul Biya, the 29-year incumbent, Walla along with five other candidates contested the election results as numerous election irregularities and accusations of fraud emerged.

Walla’s courage and devotion to run for office sets an example for women not only in Cameroon, but all around the world, who have the boldness to participate in politics. Walla’s dedication to creating a network of Cameroon women political activists will inspire generations of women leaders to come.