A number of widows from Nyamira County have accused the county government over negligence and demanded action over their welfare.
Their complaints come slightly a day after county First Lady Naomi Nyagarama presided over International Women Day at Nyamira North Sub County.
Speaking to the writer on Thursday, Borabu widows led by Catherine Nyakundi questioned the county’s commitment in empowering them, adding that many were undergoing economic turmoil due to little support from government.
“We have nothing to celebrate about as widows. The county government has always ignored our plight. It is never committed in empowering us economically, so we feel neglected by the very government that come for our votes after five years,” she said.
“Many of us cannot sustain our families because of economic turmoil. It’s sad that the county leadership has never responded despite our efforts to seek help. We too deserve support and this is the time to get it,” Nyakundi added.
They also blamed the county government of having weak systems of identifying genuine beneficiaries and alleged that the county was supporting imposters.
“We normally hear that widows are supported by the county and even the First Lady (Naomi Nyagarama) noted that. But we think their systems of identifying genuine beneficiaries are flawed. They end up supporting imposters and this isn’t a good thing,” she said.
They also challenged the national government to consider increasing the amount given to widows, arguing that it was too little to help them educate their children.
“The national government on its part is trying but giving Sh1,500 for a single orphan isn’t enough. We are struggling to give our children good education and many of them end up dropping out of secondary schools. It will be fair if the amount is raised to at least 5,000 per orphan,” she said.
Photo: Members of Sauti ya Wajane Gusii chapter at a past event. A number of widows from Nyamira County have accused the county government of negligence on their plights. AMakori/Hivisasa.com