The government is in the process of registering mediation institutions to fast track the resolution of matters of succession pitting widows and their families, the spouse of the Deputy President, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, has said.
Pastor Rigathi said that the goal is to ensure that both widows and widowers are able to access inheritance left behind by their kin and to lessen the amount of time taken in resolving succession disputes.
“We have come up with a policy of registering mediation institutions that will enable widows and widowers to access wealth that is left behind at a faster and cheaper pace. In the near future we are fore seeing a situation where matters of mediation will not be limited to courts because we will have many institutions including churches where individuals can access justice faster,” said Pastor Rigathi.
The DP’s spouse has also appealed to men to embrace the culture of writing wills. She noted that most of the widows in the country are disenfranchised because their husbands did not leave behind a will indicating how their wealth should be shared out upon their death.
“Disenfranchisement of a woman starts when she gets married. When she is supposed to be empowered, she finds that everything is centred on her husband in terms of economic base and leadership. So if a man doesn’t care to leave a will, many widows and her children are left to suffer and struggle,” she said.
Pastor Rigathi was speaking in Nyeri during the launch of the Nyeri County Widows Sacco. In her remarks, she termed the launch of the sacco as a huge milestone which will not only empower widows economically but also address gender equality and inclusion issues in the county.
“I believe economic empowerment is a gateway through which all economic, social and cultural barriers can be broken. Through empowerment of widows, they will now be able to make independent decisions and overcome these challenges,” she said.
According to the Kenya Population and Housing Census 2019, out of the county’s population of 759,164, a total of 65,288 of the residents are widows. The County’s Gender, Youth and Social Services County Executive Committee said that in the run-up to the launch, her department had registered a total of 91 registered widow groups and trained them on sacco formation.
The Sacco, which is a brain child of the first Nyeri governor, Nderitu Gachagua, will allow widows residing in the county to save their money, grow their savings and later have access to affordable loans.
While addressing the over 800 widows at the function, the county boss, Mutahi Kahiga pledged his commitment to addressing the unique challenges that widows face.
He said the sacco will create a financial platform to access affordable credit and enable them to support their livelihoods. In addition, Kahiga said that the county will extend financial literacy programme to enable the women to venture into entrepreneurship.
“Widows in our society face unique challenges. Often, they are denied inheritance rights, face discrimination and abuse, they encounter financial instability, social isolation, and emotional hardship,” said Kahiga.
“Through the Widows Sacco, we aim to provide access to affordable credit, enabling widows to start or expand small businesses, secure education for their children, improve their overall quality of life and promote social cohesion and solidarity among widows,” he added.
The event was graced by Nyeri Deputy Governor Warui Kinaniri, the County Commissioner Pius Murugu and Margaret Karungaru, a member of Gender and Equality Commission.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
