'Elect women, they will never forget you,' Ex KNCHR chair Kagwiria Mbogori urges Kenyans

Former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) chair Kagwiria Mbogori has urged Kenyans to vote for competent woman leaders at the August polls.

Her sentiments follow NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua’s Monday unveiling as the running mate of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party's flag bearer Raila Odinga.

While labelling Karua’s unveiling as monumental, Mbogori noted that women are still underrepresented in elected offices, the civil service and the private sector in Kenya.

According to Mbogori, women are natural leaders based on how well they perform their matriarchal responsibilities as such the country would be in safe hands if educated female politicians are given the opportunity to lead the country at the national and county levels.

“I hope that the people of Kenya heed this clarion call. Women are very good leaders,” Mbogori said on the JKLive show.  

She further noted that she has witnessed first-hand, how women can better the livelihoods of their families during her stint as KNHCR chair, underlining that this will be the norm once female politicians are given substantial seats at the country’s political table.

“I used to travel all over the country and I used to have informal conversations with people I met. I once met this man, a small businessman in Wajir, who was wearing a very nice suit and when I asked him where he got it he said it was a gift from his daughter,” she said.

“It is a thing I have heard all over. When girls are educated parents reap the rewards and this is leadership at a family level, therefore, I want to urge Kenyans to vote for women, and they will not forget you. Let’s choose women who will deliver, those whose track records are not full of lies.”

To add to her argument, Mbogori highlighted how fundraising merry-go-rounds popularly known as chamas have mushroomed across the country despite being previously seen as a female-led venture. According to Mbogori, this is a testament to how women can introduce new initiatives that can better the country’s economy.

“The small model of merry go rounds is everywhere because women and even men join chamas now. I think we are in that space right now we will be able to better the livelihoods of Kenyans but women need to be there.”