Kenya's First Lady hands over 28th Beyond Zero mobile clinic

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta yesterday asked residents to shun the outlawed Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and enhance investment in their children’s education.

Mrs Kenyatta, who was at the county to hand over a Beyond Zero Mobile Clinic to Governor Peter Munya at Meru Technical Training Institute, also said FGM is pulling back the region’s girl child’s advancement since it often leads to early marriage.

“I, however, commend all those women who have started promoting alternative rite of passage among our daughters.

“Now, ensure you also educate them because the future belongs to these young ones. You will never go wrong when you invest in children through education,” she said.

Also present to receive the mobile clinic were over 20 spouses of governors and hundreds of women who thronged the training institute.

New equipment

Governor Peter Munya thanked the First Lady for donating the equipment and said it will go a long way in reducing the number of women who die of pregnancy-related complications.

Mr Munya said health is a priority for his government, with a total of Sh2 billion, or 40 per cent of the budget, set aside for the sector.

Health Executive William Muraah said commissioning of the clinic is a blessing for the area and thanked Mrs Kenyatta for working to help pregnant mothers around the country.

Mrs Kenyatta was also taken on a guided tour of Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital where she got to interact with mothers and their new born babies.

The Beyond Zero campaign is the First Lady’s brainchild which came to fruition in January 2014, when the Beyond Zero Foundation was officially launched to partner with the Government in reducing maternal and child mortality.

The clinic handed over to governor Munya is the 28th fully equipped mobile clinic to be handed out since the campaign begun.

Meanwhile, four MPs from the region have rubbished rumours questioning the validity of thousands of title deeds President Uhuru Kenyatta issued during his recent tour of the region.

Igembe North MP Joseph M’Eruaki and Woman Rep Florence Kajuju said the people peddling these rumours are out to discredit the Government.

Mr M’Eruaki said the title deeds are genuine adding that this can be confirmed online since entire process has now been digitalised.

“They want to politicise the issue and they are also being disrespectful of the Presidency,” he said.

Ms Kajuju said the process used to issue the titles was inclusive and that all MPs worked closely with Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu, before she stepped aside.

Long wait

“Now that you have titles, which you waited for for over 50 years, you should concentrate on farming and carrying out other productive activities on the land,” she told locals.

On their part, Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi and Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood said there is no way Government can issue invalid titles.

The legislatures further accused those peddling the rumours of engaging in cheap politics and propaganda.

President Uhuru held a two day tour of the county in February this year where he, among other things, issued title deeds to residents of Kiirwa town in Buuri sub-county.

During his visit, the President pledged that the Jubilee administration will issue some 800,000 title deeds to land owners in the county in the next two years.

“Title deeds will no longer be a campaign tool to be used for political mileage during the electioneering period,” the President said.