Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaiserry’s widow Hellen, should not be harassed by Tourism ministry officials over the Ushanga Initiative funds.
Kajiado Governor Joseph Lenku has warned.
He said some MPs were working in cahoots with some tourism ministry officials to harass the widow by denying the Ushanga initiative its rightful budget.
“Pastoralist communities that know the economic impact of Ushanga are very disappointed. We want the MPs to keep politics out of Ushanga,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Sports and Culture committee chaired by Machakos MP Victor Munyaka questioned the legality of funding the initiative by Treasury.
Governor Lenku said operations of the Beads initiative which seeks to empower women to export them were gazetted.
He said President Kenyatta promised pastoralist women that he will support the programme.
“This is a presidential programme. If MPs have a fight with the Tourism ministry, let them keep off Ushanga.”Lenku said.
There are fears that a cartel at Utalii House wants to divert the Sh 417M allocated to the Initiative last year to another department.
“This is tormenting and marginalizing women who have started to eke out a living from a hitherto cultural past time. It is in very bad faith,” said the Governor.
He was speaking in Kiserian when he met all Chiefs from Kajiado West.
The Ushanga programme has so far enrolled more than 70,000 women who are in 90 cooperatives across 7 counties.
The Counties are Kajiado, Samburu, West Pokot, Narok,Baringo,Marsabit and Turkana.
Each of the cooperatives has between 150-600 members.