Women from Athi River Township Ward in Machakos County on Thursday endorsed the area MCA Michael Mutua for Mavoko constituency parliamentary seat in the forthcoming 2017 polls.
The over 500 women who visited Mutua at his home in Athi River town said he had shown mature leadership hence needed to be elevated to parliamentary sit so as to lead the entire constituency.
“Mutua has led as well as a servant leader since we elected him as our MCA, he is a sharp student and therefore needs not to repeat class, we today endorse him to rally for the area parliamentary sit next year,” a woman said.
The women were from Kanaani, City Carton, Jam City, Kwa Mang’eli, Jua Kali, Kisumu Ndogo, Embakasi, Slaughter, Njoguini, Site, KMC, Sofia, Kisumu Ndogo and Makadara estates all within Athi River Township Ward.
They said they decided to make the bold step of blessing Mutua for the political position because he is one of their own and had enjoyed fruits of his leadership.
“Mutua’s home is here in Athi River, we live with him around and always see him any time we have problems, Charity begins at home,” said a woman leader from Makadara.
Mutua said he is willing and ready to take up the mantle when both national and county parliaments are dissolved.
“I have hid the call of these women, elders and youth from the entire Mavoko constituency had also earlier requested me to represent them in national assembly this time round. Who am I to turn down their requests? When the time comes, I will sell my policies across the constituency and request for votes from the electorates,” said Mutua.
“I want to pursue development from where it was left by Wavinya Ndeti when she was the MP of the larger Kathiani Constituency before it was split into two, Mavoko and Kathiani. Most of the projects initiated by her then have since stalled with some being white elephants,” said Mutua.
Mutua said he will establish Mavoko Women Sacco to address high rates of poverty among most of the women in the constituency to help them improve their living standards and earn reasonable livelihoods.
The women welcomed the Sacco’s idea stating it will empower them economically and ensure they become self reliant.
They said poverty amongst them was well orchestrated by certain personalities who do not want the locals to be empowered economically.
“Majority of the locals are jobless in Mavoko despite the fact there are lots of jobs in the constituency since it has the highest industrial companies in the entire Machakos County. The locals are given raw deals due to corruption as aliens get lucrative jobs. We want to give Mutua more powers to agitate for the residents’ rights,” said a woman.
Mutua said he has no personal differences with any leader from the region but conflicting political ideologies for best interests of the residents.