Baringo County Woman Representative Florence Jematia has said she wants to make the livelihoods of residents better within the next four years.
Speaking during the launch of development projects and Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) initiatives at Kabarnet National Cereals and Produce Board Grounds on Friday, Jematia said she has embarked on a journey to transform the livelihoods of residents until they are able to fend for their basic needs.
While issuing a wide range of livelihood transformative items including water pumps generators, posho mills, car washing machines, quarry working tools, public address systems, and beehives to 36 selected groups of residents the County MP revealed that going forward, the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) programme would be granted twice every financial year in order to accommodate more beneficiaries.
She commended the 30 elected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) for their role in supporting her programme in identifying the neediest groups noting that she would stop at nothing less than ensuring that all residents in every corner of the county were empowered irrespective of their gender.
“God willing, I want in the next three to four years, you will have become self-reliant in one way or another,” she told those present.
Jematia, who was accompanied by four other Women representatives, Beatrice Kemei (Kericho), Caroline Ngelechei (Elgeyo Marakwet), Linet Chepkorir (Bomet) and Rael Kasiwa (West Pokot) said she is following in the footsteps of the second President Daniel Arap Moi who indiscriminately build many schools and roads countrywide adding that she intended to eradicate the challenges residents were facing in the community due to lack of resources.
The legislator who announced the start of phase two street lighting programme targeting remote areas of the county said her office is at the advanced stages of negotiating for public sanctuaries in all the seven sub-counties where youth, women, and persons with disabilities fit their tents, chairs and public address systems during public ceremonies and events.
While presenting a Sh3.8 million bursary cheque to support teenage mothers enrolled in schools, the first-time Woman Representative called upon residents to share with her more development ideas to steer the county to greater heights noting that she is very much ready to listen to some of the requests geared towards improving the needs of residents.
Kemei who lauded Jematia for her big heart of supporting the community urged the benefiting groups to take advantage of the empowerment tools to improve their livelihoods.
The Kericho Women Representative pointed out that prudent use of NGAAF resources would help to increase funding by the National Treasury.
The legislator who observed a wide range of hidden talents amongst the youth challenged them to exploit their God-given talents in the county with diverse cultures so that they could earn income.
Ngelechei called upon area leadership to accord Jematia the necessary support during her tenure to continue assisting the vulnerable population in society.
She was echoed by Kasiwai and Chepkorir who together congratulated their Baringo counterpart for her fore-sightedness in championing the needs of the community.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo who attended the occasion accompanied by Baringo South Member of Parliament Charles Kamuren commended Jematia for her efforts in collaborating with all the 30 MCAs pledging to also support her in realizing all the campaign pledges to residents. Cheptumo challenged the beneficiaries not to misuse the empowerment tools which he observed were often poorly managed since they were not acquired through individual sweat.
He noted that such empowerment tools were meant to benefit all residents and serve for many years to achieve value for money.
By Benson Kelio
