Kisii Women Representative Mary Sally Otara has said she will use the Sh63 million from the Affirmative Action Development Fund to fund projects for women, the youth and people with disability.
Mrs. Otara said each of the nine constituencies making up Kisii County would get sh. 7 million to help in addressing issues of the disadvantaged groups in the county.
She asked the chairman for National Assembly committee for Legal Affairs Samuel Chepkonga, to spearhead the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule that is aimed at empowering women to take up leadership roles.
Addressing a gathering at Ibeno C.O.G primary school in Nyaribari Chache constituency on 5/7/2015, the Kisii women representative asked male parliamentarians from the Gusii region to be in forefront in the implementation of the gender rule.
“We, the 47 women caucus achieve this if our male colleagues cannot support us. For that matter, I ask Hon. Richard Tong’i and other mps from Kisii and Nyamira counties to stand in our support,” she said.
She warned that if the bill is not passed by the deadline of 36 days from 5th July, then the fourty-seven women reps would resort to petitioning for a dissolution of government.
“We have only 36 days left to pass the bill for implementation of the gender rule. If we will not have it in place before the duration elapses, then parliament will be dissolved for new election to be done and this will paralyze development and service delivery to Kenyans,” she warned.
Mrs. Otara also challenged education stakeholders to support girlchild by providing sanitary towels and stand in the campaign against cultural practices that sabotage their dreams.
“All of us has a role in upbringing of our children in the right way and ensure they are achieving their ambitions. We should treat our daughters the same way we do to our sons. FGM, sexual violence, early marriages or forced marriages and discrimination are some of the challenges girl child encounter. The church which is the sponsor of most schools plus other key stakeholders must condemn all these odds that affect girl child education,” ventilated the women rep, remarks that were hailed by the chairperson for maendeleo ya wanawake, Nyaribari Chache constituency, Clare Moraa.
On the other hand, the county MP urged all youths and anybody without an Identification Document to process for the document and a voting card so that they can elect leaders they desire during elections.
The MP lamented that lack of sanitary towels among girls affects their education endeavoring. She donated sanitary towels and under wares to girls from three schools in Ibeno ward noting they are basic as they will ensure reduction of absenteeism cases among girls so that they can equally compete with boys.
The three schools that received the donation were Ibeno C.O.G and Mission, and Rikendo primary schools.
Speaking at the same function of sanitary towels harvesting organized by Smart Girl Foundation, Kisii county First Lady Elizabeth Ongwae promised to donate sanitary towels to girls in all nine sub-counties.
Governor Ongwae’s wife said she is conducting mentorship program in schools to sensitize students on the alternative way of right of passage instead of FGM.
She wondered that Kisii County is top five in Kenya among counties that have recorded the highest number of HIV/AIDs cases, and therefore urged ladies to spearhead the campaign against prostitution that is believed to be orchestrated by women.
The first lady called on teenagers to abstain from fornication and alcohol and drug abuse if they wanted to excel academically.
She advised the youth to be responsible and professional by working hard and being obedient so that they can achieve their ambitions.
Also in the event was Constitutional Implementation Commission (CIC) Chairman Charles Nyachae, Nyaribari Chache parliamentary hopefuls Zaheer Jhanda, Ben Mogaka and Rachel Otundo, Nominated MCAs Josephine Ombati (Richibu), and Tabitha Okong’o and former councilor Steve Arika who was also the coordinator of the event, among others.
The Smart Girl Foundation group headed by vernacular radio station presenter Donya Dorice Toto, hailed Kisii leadership and other well-wishers for supporting girl-child with sanitary pads and other necessities in her struggle to circumvent cultural practices that derail her academic voyage.