Let’s engage women and youths in the decision-making process, youthful women rep aspirant says

Wajir County women representative hopeful Ubah Abdi Kahiye. (Courtesy)

WAJIR—We can achieve our desired development goals only if we create platform for discussion and allow everyone to take part in it, youthful Ubah Abdi Kahiye said on Sunday in her maiden election campaign in Wajir.

She added that she would push for increase in women and youths representation in the panel of decision-makers in the county.

‘’We are in this mess today because we left out some section of the community in the decision-making process and that is what we need to change,’’ she told a crowd who came out in their numbers to welcome her convoy at central Wajir.

Wajir County is considered among the counties where women and youth representation is not at par with the national baseline.
Young girls are also faced with the threat of marriage, or genital mutilation.

To address the menace, the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (Kewopa) and Association of European Parliamentarians in Africa (Awepa) visited the county in December last year to sensitise the community on the dangers of the vice.

Born and raised at Hadado west of Wajir town, Ubah said she is looking forward to drive the message even further and given the mandate, enforce it.

‘’It’s our collective responsibility to save our girls and women from the claws of negative traditional cultural activities,’’ she said.
Ubah went to Hadado Primary School and later Furaha Secondary School for her primary and high school studies, making to the top of her class in 2005.
‘’That experience taught me that women, too can lead in areas where men are traditionally thought to lead,’’ Ubah told Kulan Post on the phone.

After she excelled in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Ubah got admitted at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in her pursuit of Bcom.

‘’I later came back to Wajir and worked with local banks. After a while, I left the banking sector and joined community work,’’ she added. At one point she was attached to Aldef, a humanitarian orgernisation in Wajir.

‘’Today I am here not to campaign, but to introduce myself to you and ask for your support,’’ she told the crowd.