Makueni County Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has flagged off Dr. Faith Mwende Christopher to go and climb Mount Everest in Nepal, the highest mountain in the world.
Dr. Mwende who is jetting out of the country on Tuesday next week, says that mountaineering is her passion and she intends to create awareness about climate change, promote peace and mental health that has adverse effects on humanity.
Mwende who is a resident of Kilungu Sub-county in Makueni County, started her journey of mountaineering when she was in standard 3 years in the hilly area.
According to her, she has climbed Mount Kenya 10 times and three times Kilimanjaro besides climbing mt. Meru (Tanzania), Aberdare and Elgon in (Kenya) and Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of Congo).
“Mountaineering is a passion to me that I cannot tell when I started, our parents used to take us for picnics and hiking while growing up. So mountaineering is an inborn skill,” Dr. Mwende said this at the Makueni Governor’s office while addressing the media on Thursday.
“I used to be excited and jump when I got to the top of Kilungu hills. However, Mikiyuni River that used to have all of water has dried up. I want to create awareness on climate change besides mental health that is overlooked,” she posed.
If she succeeds in scaling the highest mountain in the world, she will become the first Kenyan woman to reach the summit where she is expected to pitch the Kenya flag and that of Makueni County respectively.
Dr. Mwende said that when she returns back to the country after two months, she will embark on campaigns to conserve the environment in Makueni and the country at large.
On his part, Governor Mutula said that she will become the Makueni climate change champion saying the county has had adverse effects that has affected climate change.
Consequently, he pointed out that the county has recently faced drought and forest fires that has affected Nzaui, Makuli and Katende forests in the area.
“Please come we start new forests,” said the governor.
Addressing the same event, the Gender and Sports Executive Committee Member (ECM) Nicholas Nzioka said that the county government of Makueni has paid for a two-way ticket for Dr. Mwende who is flying to Nepal, Asia on Tuesday next week.
By Patrick Nyakundi
