Widows across the country have been on the receiving end for decades, left to grapple with overlapping social, economic, and legal hardships.
Some of the major challenges they face after death of their partners include property grabbing, unfair loss of inheritance rights, social stigmatization and isolation, intense economic insecurity, and subjection to harmful traditional practices.
These barriers trap many widows in cycles of poverty and emotional distress and hence the need for deliberate and concerted efforts to empower them to stand and have their voice heard in the society.
It is this reason that Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia is spearheading a legislative and public push to establish a dedicated government fund for widows in Kenya.
The lawmaker who spoke while marking the International Widows Day at Kamwangi urged the national government to introduce an empowerment kitty similar to programs for the elderly noting that the widows are faced with a myriad of hardships that affect them and their children.
The lawmaker quipped that he is lobbying the government to create a dedicated financial kitty under the social services department to financially empower widows.
“This will go a long way in addressing the systemic discrimination, poverty, and property dispossessions (particularly land grabbing) faced by many widows after the loss of their partners,” he said.
While addressing the over 3,800 widows who had converged at the event, Kururia reiterated that he is working with state officials including the Ministry of Social Development at the grassroots level to hear the grievances of widowed persons and support grassroots empowerment through food security and business grants.
His push complements nationwide campaigns by civil organizations lobbying MPs to pass the Widowed Persons Protection Bill, which seeks formal legal recognition and economic support for widows..
The MP reiterated that many widows are victims of property grabbing, where in-laws or community members seize land, homes, and assets after a husband’s death. In many regions, this is exacerbated by customary laws that deny women equal rights to inheritance.
“Widows often face unfair blame for their husband’s death, facing accusations of bad luck or witchcraft. Consequently, they may be marginalized, excluded from community decision-making, or even abandoned by friends who view them as threats or burdens,” he said.
The MP added, “We have brought crucial services closer to them by opening a Huduma Center, a Lands Registry and a Court of Law at Kamwangi where they will get the services and advice they need to address some of their challenges.”
He at the same time urged the widowed persons to form groups so that they can benefit with other government funds including the women empowerment fund to establish and grow their ventures.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Gatundu North Widows Association chairperson Alice Wanjiru who noted that navigating profound grief and trauma is often compounded by the pressure of single-handedly raising and financially supporting children, leading to increased stress and anxiety.
She divulged that most widows in the region, together with their children, are faced with mental health issues due to financial hiccups, desertion by family and community members among other hardships they face.
“The only thing that will free widows from the shackles of poverty and make them and their children respectable members of the society is financial freedom. This is why we are appealing to the government to consider creating a fund that will empower widows economically,” Wanjiru said.
Wanjiku Kiranga, a widow from Kirai village in Mang’u ward echoed the sentiments saying that they should be given grants to initiate their own income generating ventures to enable them navigate the financial hardships they face.
“The levels of poverty among widowed persons is alarming and it’s a shame that you will find out children are the worst affected by vices like alcoholism and substance abuse. We are pleading with our government to address our plight by economically empowering us,” she said.
