Nakuru woman representative Mary Mbugua has accused a section of leaders of not fully supporting women in their respective areas of jurisdiction, something she says has forced a majority of them to struggle economically.
According Mbugua, slums and remote villages were the most affected, with women there being relegated to housewives and child bearing machines.
“An empowered woman is a strong woman but it is sad that those who are supposed to empower them are not doing it, making the situation more pathetic for us,” she said.
She spoke in Subukia sub-county on Wednesday where she met several women groups that came together to work on a collective empowerment programme that will see them venture into businesses and become independent.
The MP said some wards had never had women beneficiaries of either the Uwezo or Youth Enterprise Development funds in the recent financial years.
She cited the large numbers of letters from different groups at her office as being proof enough that women needed somebody they could trust to help them become financially independent.
“As I speak today, I have more than 300 applications from different women groups seeking financial help. Who is to blame because it seems the situation is deteriorating to worse as if nobody cares,” she said.
Meanwhile, she also called on embattled Devolution minister Anne Waiguru to step aside and allow investigations regarding the allegations levelled against her ministry.