Public Service Cabinet Secretary nominee Aisha Jumwa broke down during a session with the National Assembly Committee on Appointments for vetting today.
Jumwa, who recounted her early years, got emotional explaining that her parents struggled to fend for her and her 27 siblings.
"I have come a long way. I was born and raised in a humble setting in a historical fishing village known as Takaungu in Kilifi North, Kilifi County. My parents were poor," said Jumwa amid tears.
She added; "They struggled to provide for me and my 27 siblings."
The former Malindi MP narrated that she attended a local school known as Takaungu before she proceeded to Ganze Secondary School.
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She, however, had to drop out due to a lack of school fees.
"There were absolutely no prospects to expand my horizons. The sad fate that most of the rural girls face awaited me with open arms, 'early marriage'. I got married off and became a mother of my firstborn," she added.
Jumwa, however, says that she was not content in being a housewife, hence, took a keen interest in matters affecting communities especially the vulnerable in society.
"In 1997, I contested as a chairperson for the Kilifi Town Council and I was elected as the first woman in my community. I served for five years and got re-elected," Jumwa said.
During her tenure as the Malindi MP, Jumwa said she founded Shomani Girls High School which she said would help girls from a humble backgrounds to get quality education.
"I also set aside 10 acres of land under the Aisha Jumwa Foundation for the construction of a rescue centre for the victims of Gender Based and teenage pregnancies," she said.
Jumwa has since explained she went back to school and completed her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) studies in 2011.
"I proceeded to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology where I got my certificate in County Governance in 2012. This was followed by an Executive Masters of Leadership and Governance from the same institution in 2015. In 2021, I graduated with a Bachelor of leadership and Management from International Leadership University here in Nairobi.
"I have now registered at Africa Nazarene for a bachelor in law degree."