By Boniface Mulu
Kitui County, Kenya: The immediate East African Community, Arid Lands, and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Peninna Malonza recently donated some 230 two thousand five hundred-litres water tanks worth about six million shillings to some 72 women groups from across Kitui County.
The ceremony took place at the Kauwi Primary School within the Kitui West District, Kitui County where she was the event’s chief guest. The Kitui County Union for Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (KICUSA) Limited is the umbrella organization for the 72 women groups. In her speech, the KICUSA Chairlady, Gladys Kakwasi Julius, highly appreciated Peninna Malonza for the donations.
“We as the Kitui women today are very happy,” Julius said. “We (the KICUSA) have united all the women’s saccos in Kitui County,” the women’s leader added. She disclosed that they started the union in 2014 “and we were being given some water tanks by Honourable Nyiva Mwendwa.” Nyiva Mwendwa was the then Kitui County Women’s Representative. “And Peninna Malonza has greatly helped us the Kitui women,” Julius added.
“We the Kitui women are going to benefit a lot because Peninnah Malonza is a woman who wants to help the Kitui women,” she also said. “So we are very happy with you the CS Peninna Malonza. We know you as our CS in Kenya and that title (the CS) will never end in Kenya,” the cooperator said. She disclosed that their 72 women groups comprise a total of 15,000 members. In her speech, Malonza pledged that she would continue supporting the saccos in Kitui County for the benefit of the locals. “I started forming the saccos here in Kitui in 2014 when I was the Deputy Kitui County Governor,” Malonza said. The former CS highly appreciated Nyiva Mwendwa for helping the Kitui women a lot. “Nyiva was the first woman to give you the water tanks through the NGAAF (National Government Affirmative Action Fund). She tried and I have to appreciate her. She assisted you,” Malonza said.
Malonza who hails from the Mathima Location in Mutomo District, Kitui County. Malonza is also a former employee of Compassion International. Compassion International has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States. It was founded in 1871. “These are our water tanks we the women. This is the first round. The second round is on the way,” Malonza told the women. “What we want is the women’s living standards to be transformed,” she told them. She called upon Kitui County’s women to join the cooperative societies in large numbers to benefit from the same.
“You the woman I love you,” the former CS said. She highly lauded the KICUSA Chairperson Gladys Kakwasi Julius for her excellent leadership. “I have conducted over ten funds-drives within the Kitui County for our people in about two years as a CS,” Malonza said as she talked about her development track record for the locals. Malonza highly lauded nominated Senator Beth Kalunda Syengo (Orange Democratic Movement) “for her courageous leadership.”
Senator Syengo had spoken before Malonza where she highly lauded the former CS for her good leadership. “I am here because Peninna talks about development. We are talking about the Kitui’s development,” Syengo, who is an educationist by profession said. She told Malonza: “My sister I came to stand with you.” The senator asked the Kitui County’s people to elect her as their County Women’s Representative during Kenya’s 2027 general elections. “I will be in the race for the very seat. It is good for all those who are interested in the seat to join the race. Let them all come out because I am not afraid of the competition,” the former high school teacher said. Beth Kalunda Syengo is also the Kenya Network of Grassroots Women (KENGROW) Founder and Director.
With its headquarters in Kitui Town, the KENGROW operates in 20 out of Kenya’s 47 counties. The senator decried the perennial insecurity problem along the Kitui-Tana River County border. The occasion was also addressed by the KICUSA Supervisory Committee Secretary Pauline Syovata Musyoka, the We the Trees Coordinator Francis Kavisu, and the former County Assembly Member for the Mutitu Ward within the Kitui County’s Kitui East Constituency Annastacia Mwathi Mutunga among others.
