Non-implementation of laws and regulations passed against retrogressive customary practices has been blamed on the continued violation of women’s rights in Marsabit County.
This featured prominently during a women’s empowerment forum presided over by the president’s advisor on human rights Harriette Chiggai, who called on relevant government agencies to act with swiftness to address the problem.
Chiggai pointed out that various acts of law have been enacted to safeguard the well-being of women and children in the country and asked enforcement agencies to take the necessary action to have the regulations rationalized.
Speaking during the event held at the Marsabit stadium, Chiggai noted that lack of enforcement of laws that safeguard the rights of women has continued to expose them to suffering and to hinder their growth.
The forum, which was also attended by High Court Judge Justice Dorah Chepkwony, the president’s advisor on economic affairs, Charles Kemboi saw over 4,000 windows drawn from Saku constituency trained on economic empowerment and investment.
She observed that female genital mutilation (FGM), forced early marriages and gender based violence (GBV) have continued to afflict the female gender in addition to being disinherited and denied the right to own land.
Chiggai asked the local national administrative officers to institute measures that would ensure that outlawed traditions and other offensive actions do not deter women from accessing justice.
The Kenya Kwanza administration, she said, believes in equality and asked the local county commissioner, James Kamau, who was present, to ensure there was an awareness drive on the demands of the law on gender by chiefs and other national government administrative officers.
“The government has enacted various laws geared at bringing to an end practices that violate the rights of either gender and it’s the responsibility of the concerned organs to create awareness about them,” she stated.
Chiggai added that there was a seemingly high degree of ignorance about the law among the citizenry, which should be tackled through sensitization on the demands of the various government departments’ service charters.
Further, the president’s advisor called for proper data and information management on gender-based issues like GBV, FGM and sex crimes if the menace was to be addressed in a more effective manner.
“The President Ruto administration is doing everything within its means to improve on the welfare of women and people living with disabilities in the country,” she said, adding that women’s necessities like sanitary towels have been exempted from tax in order to make them accessible.
On education, which she termed as the foundation for a progressive nation, Chiggai advised local communities to enroll their children in school irrespective of gender so as to prepare them for a bright future and spur growth.
She also challenged fathers to take a more active role in parenting, saying the boy child had been left to nurture on their own, hence indulging in the abuse of drugs and crime.
Chiggai asked fathers as household heads to nurture a culture of love and understanding in their families in order to create safe homes for their kin to live in.
Saku MP Col (Rtd.) Dido Raso and local woman Representative Naomi Waqo echoed the sentiments, saying the Kenya Kwanza government was not leaving anyone behind in its bottom-up economic transformation agenda.
The duo welcomed the initiative by the government to advance financial support for small-scale enterprises to widows, single mothers and the women fraternity in general, saying it was a practical way of providing sources of income among the lowly in society hence addressing poverty.
The woman representative, who is also the majority deputy chief whip in the national assembly, said similar forums would be organized for the other three constituencies of North Horr, Moyale and Laisamis.
During the event that was organized in partnership with the Marsabit County government and grazed by the county secretary, Hussein Sasura, a donation of 30 tons of rice and 26 tons of beans to be distributed to the widows in the constituency was delivered by the national government.
Various women groups and youths also received salon kits, posho mills and sewing machines, among other tools of trade, to enable them start small businesses and be self-reliant through the national government affirmative action fund (NGAAF)
By Sebastian Miriti
