The First Lady told the women they can expect much more financial empowerment and protection of their social rights from the Government when they ensure President Kenyatta’s victory during the August 8 elections. [Photo/First Lady press team]
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta spread the message of women empowerment to Western Kenya today where she promised to seek Government support to enable MYWO develop their properties across the Counties.
She also promised to help women expand their Saccos and improve their farming and business activities in collaboration with MYWO.
“I promise to help you to expand your SACCOs and to request for government support to put up Maendeleo buildings in your Counties”, said the First Lady as she drummed up support for the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta in the vote-rich Western Kenya region.
She gave the pledge at Kakamega rehabilitation centre where she met with thousands of women drawn from the four counties of Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga and host Kakamega.
The First Lady told the women they can expect much more financial empowerment and protection of their social rights from the Government when they ensure President Kenyatta’s victory during the August 8thelections.
“This (financial empowerment) and more will continue to happen when on 8th August, you vote for Uhuru Kenyatta as your President. This will continue to happen when you vote Jubilee”, said the First Lady.
Friday's meeting, convened by MYWO was the ninth in a series of similar events in in Kitui, Kajiado, Isiolo, Samburu, Kisii, Nyamira, Kwale and Nakuru in recent weeks where the First Lady addressed thousands of women, who all pledged to support President Kenyatta’s re-election
In Nakuru on Friday, the First Lady addressed thousands of women drawn from 12 counties in the Rift Valley while in Mombasa she met with MYWO members from the six Counties that form the coast region.
During today’s meeting the women from Western Kenya promised to throw a major surprise to those opposed to President Kenyatta’s re-election.
They said women make the majority of the voters in the populous region and will all cast their ballots in favour of President Kenyatta.
“The outcome of the August 8th elections will be determined by women. We must ensure you ( First Lady) remains at State House by voting for President Kenyatta”, said Jubilee Governor aspirant for Kakamega Ms Membo Muruli.
Her sentiments were echoed by all the women speakers at the meeting including aspiring Jubilee Women Representative for Kakamega Ms Mercy Luseno and all the MYWO chairpersons from the four counties.
Former MYWO National Chairperson and one of the movement’s pioneer’s Ms Teresa Shitakha said the Jubilee Government had , in a short four years, set a national precedent for its development track record since the days of the First President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
“We promise to give Uhuru Kenyatta all our votes”, she said as she reminisced her memories of the founding father of the nation.
The four counties of Western Kenya have an estimated 1.92millin voters, majority of them women and youth. Kakamega alone has 746,877 registered voters.
The First Lady asked the women to allow President Kenyatta and herself to build on the progress Kenya has achieved so far.
“We must continue to maximize on the gains we have made in uplifting the livelihoods of citizens through cash transfer facilities to enable them to fend for their families”, she said.
The re-election of President Kenyatta will also ensure that elderly Kenyans- who are more vulnerable to financial, health and physical challenges – continue to get financial support and live their remaining years in dignity.
“We must ensure that women’s hopes and dreams are realized through economic empowerment programs of the UWEZO and Women Enterprise Fund’, said the First Lady.
She said she will continue with her commitment on matters affecting women and children.
She also promised to deliver all the concerns raised by the women to President Kenyatta personally.
“I have heard your concerns and I will deliver your messages to the President. And as I do that, I am confident that I can tell him that the women I have met today want to continue to move forward”, she said
These concerns include assistance for MYWO to reclaim all their grabbed plots in the counties including Kakamega and Kericho, the issue of unpaid IDPs, assistance to boost their Table-Banking programs, food shortage in Vihiga County and further subsidy on fertilizers.
Today’s meeting was held only a day after President Kenyatta addressed residents of Western Province through the KBC-Live and West FM-Live programs where he outlined the multi-billion projects his government had both implemented and revived in Western Kenya.
The projects include the revival of the Rai Paper Company (Previously Panpaper Mills) and the injection of over Sh 800 million to both Mumias and Nzoia Sugar Companies to pay huge debts they owed cane farmers.
The President also enumerated the many roads, some already completed, others under construction and contracts given to many more that the Government has initiated in all the four counties to open the region and spur economic growth in Western Kenya.
Others who addressed the meetings included MYWO national chairperson Mrs Rahab Mwikali and Secretary Mrs Elizabeth Mayieka.