President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at a past function. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
A section of residents in Lamu have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to replace the late Public Works PS Mariam El Maawy with ‘one of their own'.According to the residents, appointing a Public Works PS from Lamu County will not only be a great honour to the late Maawy, but will also keep her patriotic spirit alive.El Maawy died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment in South Africa.She was taken to South Africa for specialised treatment after sustaining injuries following an al-Shabaab attack at Milihoi area in Lamu on July 13, 2017. She had suffered gunshot wounds in her chest and burns on the legs. Her nephew Arif Kassim, a trainee pilot was also killed during the attack. Residents and leaders in the county have eulogized her as a selfless, hardworking and committed person, who served Kenya without fear or favour. The residents argued that the region has been marginalized when it comes to key appointments in the government, adding that appointing someone who doesn’t hail from the region will be a blow to them.Led by Save Lamu chair Mohamed Abubakar, the residents asked the government to consider their request. “Other communities out there boast of having five or even ten people up there. For us, we only had Mariam and now that she is gone, we ask that someone from here replaces her,” said Abubakar, as quoted by Baraka FM.