Kah Walla started her advocacy for political change in 1989 as a student. When the wind of multiparty politics began to blow in Cameroon, she began demonstrating for democracy in front of the Cameroonian embassy in Washington D.C. When she returned to Cameroon in 1990, she sided with the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party at the time and soon became one of its key advisers and trainers. In 2007, she officially joined the SDF, was elected into the municipal council of Douala 1 in the economic capital of Cameroon. In 2008 she led a dynamic campaign against the constitutional amendment which removed limits for the presidential terms office. Walla became a member of the National Executive Committee of the SDF and president of the Strategic Commission.
Differences with regard to voter registration and the implementation of party strategy led her to resign from SDF in October 2010. On the same day, she announced her candidacy for the 2011 presidential elections and the creation of the Kah Walla Campaign. In April 2011, the Kah Walla Campaign merged with the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP), a political party created in 1990 by Samuel Tita Fon. As a result of this merger she was elected president of the CPP and SamueTita Fon became its honorary president.
Aptly featured in the book “The Next Africa”, Kah symbolizes the new generation of African political leadership which firmly believes in the continent's ability to achieve global standards of development and demands that this be done in respect of principles of good governance, equity and democracy.
Kah’s leadership can be summarized in her own words “I believe in Africa and our innate ability to succeed as a people”.
POLITICAL TIMELINE
- 1992 : Member of a group working for political change
- Training in leadership and teambuilding for management teams at African regional and continental institutions;
- Support to the Social Democratic Front (strategy, financing and mobilization);
- Monitoring of presidential elections in Douala;
- 1993 to 2003 : Support to SDF (strategy, training, financing and mobilization);
- Training of the members of SDF National Executive Committee (NEC) on organizational leadership;
- 2004 : Member of a group working on the transition to democracy in Cameroon.
- 2007 – 2010 : Member of the SDF
- Candidate for municipal and legislative elections;
- Elected Councilor in the Douala 1 Municipality;
- Co-opted into the National Executive of the SDF in 2008.
- 2008: Member of the « Front du NON » to fight against the amendment of the constitution
- Organization of a group of civil society and political parties to advocate against the modification of the constitution to remove the limits from presidential terms;
- Protest Marches;
- Communication in the media;
- Mobilization.
- 2011 : Joined the Cameroon People’s Party
- Elected as president of the party;
- Presidential candidate for the CPP during the 2011 elections;
- Led the “Time Is Now Campaign” which was transformative for the Cameroonian political scene.
- Mobilization.
- 2013: Led the CPP “Balayons le Cameroun” campaign for municipal and legislative elections
- Reinforced the grassroots movement begun in 2011, taking a stand to rid Cameroon of the government that has kept it hostage for 34 years;
- Strongly influenced the integration of persons with disabilities into the political process through quotas, spokespersons with disabilities and the integration of reforms to provide services for persons with disabilities at the municipal level;
- Worked with 4 other political parties on integration of women into the electoral process as candidates, polling agents and campaign team members. Participated in training and pilot programs.
- 2014: Led various grassroots, rights-based programs to influence national politics in Cameroon
- Young Citizens Leadership Project – provided computer training, job-seeking skills and citizenship training to 100 young people as a pilot project for youth employment;
- Remember Our Heroes and Heroines Week – successfully imposed the week of Feb 23rd to 28th as national heroes and heroines’ week, with tributes to nationalists, radio programs, conferences etc. and open letter to national assembly to institute memory of heroes and heroines into national life at various levels;
- Co-led advocacy campaign against trafficking of children in Cameroon;
- First national political leader to visit the Extreme North of Cameroon in the face of Boko Haram attacks. Led campaign for a holistic strategy for the fight against Boko Haram including a humanitarian strategy, a human rights strategy and a development strategy for the region.
- 2015: Led various grassroots rights-based programs to influence national politics in Cameroon
- Coached and trained leaders of advocacy program for the right to decent lodging. Enabled groups that had been fighting for their rights for over 10 years to begin face-to-face negotiations with governments;
- Continued to lead the advocacy campaign for a holistic strategy for the fight against Boko Haram including a humanitarian strategy, a human rights strategy and a development strategy for the region;
- Continued advocacy for Remember Our Heroes and Heroines Week.
