Former student leader gets family nod to run for MP
Julia Nyokabi Chege who is vying for Kangema parliamentary seat during the interview at University of Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- In 2013 and 2017, Julia Nyokabi Chege’s family prevailed upon her to shelve her political ambition for the sake of her young family.
- The UoN alumna is not new to politics, having previously served as a student leader in Sonu, in charge of gender.
- She appeals to voters across Kenya to embrace women’s leadership.
Julia Nyokabi Chege plunged into the world of politics in 2013. Her family, however, prevailed upon her to shelve her ambition for the sake of her young family.
Come 2017 and she resolved to throw her hat in the ring, but once again, her family was against it, arguing her family was still young.
This year, nothing stands in her way. It is all systems go in her quest to clinch the Kangema parliamentary seat in the August 9 poll.
“I now have the family blessings that I so badly needed to vie for the seat. They actually wish they gave me the blessings earlier. I have now hit the ground running and am optimistic of winning,” she says.
Ms Chege, who holds a Bachelor of Biochemistry from the University of Nairobi (UoN), is determined to wrest the seat from Muturi Kigano, the current chairman of the Justice and Legal Affairs committee in the National Assembly. She also holds a degree in psychology and counselling from the UoN and a Master’s in Women Leadership and Governance. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in African Women Studies.
Women leadership
She tells Nation.africa that time is ripe for women leadership to bring about the desired change.
“Since the constituency was created, men have been at the helm, but it still lags behind in development. I am seeking to be the next MP to take it to great development heights,” says Ms Chege, who will be vying on a party affiliated to Azimio la Umoja.
Her main objectives include working with stakeholders to revive the dwindling education standards and bringing well-wishers on board to educate bright, needy children.
She has already set up an education fund to complement the bursaries offered under the national government - Constituency Development Fund.
“I will prioritise economic empowerment through alternative economic activities,” she adds.
Already, she has been spearheading agribusiness initiatives, under which more than 10,000 residents are engaged in dryland arrowroot farming, originally sourced from Eritrea.
Farming project
Women and the youth receive and plant tubers and sell their harvests in Marigiti and Githurai markets, Nairobi. The arrowroots are bio-fortified and withstand harsh weather conditions unlike the conventional variety. They also do not require a lot of water.
The aspirant is also helping the growers form a Sacco through which they will save and add value to the dry arrowroots to produce flour, crisps and chips, and diversify into water bottling.
If elected, she intends to come up with bills that would be crucial to reviving coffee, tea and dairy farming, the economic mainstay of residents
To improve roads, Nyokabi promises to work closely with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya Rural Roads Authority to lobby for projects.
She hopes to table a cancer bill to make it mandatory for the government to take full care of cancer patients to lessen their financial burden.
And even though she has had no major security incident on her campaign trail, she is grateful to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for directing security officers to protect women from violence and harassment.
Mr Matiang’i last November asked security organs to ensure safety of female politicians and urged aspirants to exercise political maturity on the campaign trail.
No stranger to politics
Ms Chege wants voters across Kenya to embrace women’s leadership, saying they are equal to the task.
“My plea to the people is not to look at the gender of an individual but what he or she has to offer in leadership. Women equally have excellent leadership credentials and impressive development track record,” says Ms Chege, who is a part-time lecturer at the UoN.
She is not new to politics, having previously served as a student leader at the UON where she was a member of the Student Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu) in charge of gender.
She has also been involved in campaign teams for retired President Mwai Kibaki and former Kangema MP John Michuki.
Ms Chege is also the CEO of Premier Pick Leadership, an organisation that does capacity building in women leadership, agribusiness, women economic empowerment, peace and conflict resolution.
She is the only woman in the race and will face off with Mr Kigano, Johnson Mukuha, George Kibuku, Peter Kihungi and Theta MCA Simon Marema.
The constituency was in the past represented in parliament by powerful Cabinet ministers John Michuki and Joseph Kamotho, both deceased.
