Women form an integral part of the society and when empowered, several benefits are realised in families and communities.
Mama Elsie Muhanda alias (Senje wa Vaana), the Kakamega County Women Representative is one of the notable women who will forever be remembered for changing many lives of women in the region through her noble initiatives.
For the last last five years, Mama Elsie Muhanda has given more hope to many women across the twelve sub counties of Kakamega by coming up with initiatives that have changed and continue changing the lives of women through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund ( NGAFF).
According to Mama Elsie, popularly known as Senje wa Vaana, women can live safe, fulfilled and productive lives only if they are are mentored or empowered.
“Gone are the days where women were confined in the kitchen and cook for their husbands,” pointed out Mama Elsie.
She added, “I wanted my women from Kakamega and the rest of the country to learn from the changing dynamics of life where they can reach their full potential by even contributing their skills to the workforce and raise happier and healthier families and children.”
To realize this, Mama Elsie has taken up an initiative of giving young mothers a second chance in school.
Many girls who had dropped out of school after getting pregnant are given a chance to complete their studies.
“Education is the only equaliser that I know. Pregnancy is not the end of life. We need to allow our young mothers to complete their studies so that their lives can be better in future. Its easier to reason with someone who has gone to school as his/her understanding is easier. As Senje wa Vaana, I have been doing this. I am still reaching out those teenage mothers who for one reason or the other, dropped out of school to reach out to my office and they will be taken back to school,” she says.
Mama Elsie has impacted many lives in Kakamega and her projects are conspicuous across the vast county. Her notable projects include the following:
a) Donation of wheelchairs to the disabled .
b) Market Umbrella’s for the juakali sector.
c) Donation of Tents to several registered groups across the county.
d)Cutlery for groups.
e) Funding the training of NITA students.
f)Funding of bright but needy students across the county of Kakamega.
g) Installation of high mast lights in market centres across the county.
h) Drilling boreholes in schools, markets and hospitals.
I)Group financing.
j)Social Welfare.
k) Improvement of church structures.
l) Building houses for the less fortunate.
m) Constructing boda boda sheds.
n)Intiated Kacoma Sacco.
o) Tabled motions in Parliament.
Pundits aver that, Mama Elsie has done so much for the great people of Kakamega. She has a mark in almost every village of Kakamega.
“The affirmative action kitty doesn’t have that much but we are still impressed by how passionate Mama Elsie is determined to make Kakamega the best county to live in. There is no women representative in the entire country who has performed excellently like Mama Elsie Muhanda,” Saitoti Harambee, an ardent supporter of Mama Elsie said.
He added, “We have many able leaders in this great county of Kakamega but their interest is not on their people but they serve their personal interests.”
Mama Elsie knows almost every village in the entire Kakamega. She rarely misses out on any function, like condoling with the bereaved in the county.
She has representatives in all the 60 wards who relays anything that happens in their respective wards.
A lot of speculation has been said about mama Elsie’s political future as many try to link her development projects to 2027 gubernatorial politics yet Mama herself has never said anything regarding her political future.
According to Mzee Mambo from Mumias Central, Mama Elsie has done incredible work in Kakamega.
“She has empowered many women, given hope to many young girls who will be eligible voters in 2027 and going by the network that she has build by herself coupled by the resources at her disposal, Mama fits any position. That is why her detractors are always on her neck trying to malign her,” said Mzee Mambo.
