Woman, 80, who has voted for 40 years

Judy Wamunyu, 80, waits to vote at Kiamugumo Primary School in Kirinyaga County yesterday. She has been voting since the 1970s.

Photo credit: George Munene | Nation Media Group

For more than four decades, Judy Wamunyu, 80, has made it a point to cast her vote at Kiamugumo Primary School polling station in Kirinyaga County.

She has never missed an election, even when she was unwell. She is always thirsty to see that good leaders are elected to govern the country.

“I feel duty-bound to participate in the elections so that I don’t regret," she told the Nation at Kiamugumo as she waited to cast her vote.

Ms Wamunyu never went to school but knows the importance of voting.

“I had no one to take me to school, but I know that if I don’t go to vote, I’ll do a disservice to my country,” she said.

She remembered that she started voting in the 1970s and all the leaders she voted for did a good job. “I vote because I would like to have honest and competent leaders. I admire incorruptible and hard-working leaders,” Ms Wamunyu said.

She explained that the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition running mate Martha Karua is one of the leaders she voted for in the past.

“When Ms Karua entered politics in 1992, I voted for her as Gichugu MP. Ms Karua held that position for 20 years until she quit to seek the presidency. She motivated me to continue voting because she stood for the truth. She was an honest and development-conscious leader,” Ms Wamunyu said.

The ailing octogenarian said she will continue voting for as long as she lives.

“Like now I am sick. My legs are aching, but I’ll camp here until I cast my vote. I’m confident the right leaders will be elected to take my county and the country forward. What I want to see after the election is development and peace,” she said.