Florence Kajuju - Meru County Women Representative:Fighting for tradition

 Florence Kajuju - Meru County Women Representative who has been vocal about the ban on Miraa

Your job description states that you speak for the women in your county, what made you choose to fight for the legalisation of miraa?

I was voted for by both men and women and both genders have supported me. As a leader, I cannot serve one gender and overlook the other. If there is a problem affecting any gender in my County, then I am going to tackle it regardless. The Meru people depend so much on miraa and if I don’t do something about the bans miraa has been getting, then I am not a leader. There is no way I can represent the people when I do not meet their needs.

Where have you reached with your fight for the legalisation of miraa in foreign countries?

At the moment, we are pushing to have it legalised in Kenya. The government has never been much involved with miraa yet it boosts the country’s economy. Miraa has been a neglected crop for many years. If there are foreign policy measures put in place by our government, then other countries would not ban it.

Do you chew miraa yourself?

Yes, I do. Miraa is a cultural product and I chew it on occasions as accepted in our tradition. The Meru people do not chew miraa every time. The problem with some people is that they chew miraa throughout the night. That is what is wrong.

Do you feel that being a women representative gives you the space to make a difference?

A women representative has to work harder because the seat itself is discouraging. Kenyans expect us to serve them and yet when we were elected, the Government had not provided a kitty for us. I have had to struggle to meet the expectations of the people in my county. I am glad that there is a Sh2.1b budget in total allocated to all women representatives.

How did you serve your people without a kitty before the allocation?

I decided to look for institutions that I could partner with. Through the Florence Kajuju Foundation Trust, I was able to partner with them to facilitate community projects. For instance, I have supplied sanitary pads and inner wears to girls and given scholarship to underprivileged children in the county.

Being the first woman to be elected in Meru County since 1974, what would you say are the perceptions against women leaders?

In my culture, it has been believed that women cannot lead. But that perception is slowly changing and people have embraced women leadership. I have been supported immensely by men too and that means a lot.

Don’t you feel that since the position was set aside for women leaders, then that was the only way women could be elected and had the post in a silver platter?

The Constitution recognises our rights as women. What people forget is that this was an elective post; it was not by favour or sympathy. And a competition is a competition, whether we are competing with men or with women. The contest was not any easier just because I was competing with women. I had to convince voters in the nine constituencies and that was not easy.

The issue of the Public Wage Bill has been with us for a while now. In your opinion, what do you feel about women nominated seats scrapped off as a way of managing resources?

Scrapping off seats is not the right decision. The right way is to see to it that leaders do not overspend and we cut down on expenditure. We can do away with simple things such as tea in the government offices. As minor as that idea might sound, it will cut our expenditure in a big way. There are so many other little unnecessary things that we can do away in government offices.

Somebody opened a fake Facebook account under your name to swindle money from the public recently, tell us about that.

I was informed that somebody was advertising for jobs under my name on Facebook. Then people would send CVs and told that they have qualified for the job and would be required to send some amount of money to have the job. When I got the information, I warned people about it.

How do you create the time to spend with family?

I am lucky that I joined politics when my children were all grown up. One is in boarding school and another in university. I spend time with them when school closes and for retreats and such like events as a family. I also never miss any school events that I should attend as a parent.

Do you have plans of vying for another seat; let’s say a senator or governor in the next elections?

I want to make use of what I have now. I am a women representative and my focus is to serve my people and not on the next elections. All I can say is that only God knows what the future holds for me. Women should be ready to face the political world and vie for the seats. The Constitution has created a space for women to come out and represent the society in politics in all levels of leadership. It is up to us to take up the challenge.

Photo: Beverlyne Musili