Hundreds of widows converged at the KICC on Thursday to mark a day whose national focus is addressing the plight of widows and widowers in the country.
Cabinet Secretary Cecily Kariuki accompanied by her PS, Zeinab Hussein, participated in marking the International Widows Day which was celebrated in the country for the very first time.
Kariuki had a comforting message for the widows. She assured the women that their rights would be entrenched in the law by tabling a bill in parliament to protect their interest.
For most of these women, the harsh reality of life dawned on them with the demise of their companions.
Struggles that came up ranged from wife inheritance, brutality from in-laws and new responsibilities which they have to shoulder.
Patrick Mutua, the chairman of the Light of Widowers Association of Kenya said the widowers and widows face similar challenges in their lives. He is elated by the proposed bill saying it will help curb violation of their rights.
According to the United Nations, there are around 259 million widows around the world with many suffering discrimination based on age and gender. Some have also lived lives marked by physical and sexual abuse.
On December 22, 2010, at the 65th UN General Assembly, the United Nations recognised June 23 as International Widows Day.