LAMU COUNTY- Residents of Lamu East constituency in Lamu county have elected the first ever female Member of Parliament in Coastal region.
Ruweida Obo Muhammad made history on August 9 after she was declared the MP elect for Lamu East constituency.
She trounced the incumbent Abdul Sharif Athman in the parliamentary race in the just concluded 2022 general elections.
Ruweida who was a candidate on Jubilee Party ticket garnered a total of 5,498 votes with her closest opponent Athman getting 4,633 votes which was enough to see her sail through and claim her place as the first elected woman MP in Lamu’s history.
In her victory speech the MP elect thanked Lamu East residents and promised to de- liver on her development agenda pledge for Lamu East residents.
She stated that Lamu East residents have in the past endured uninspired leader- ship, which she added has seen the area stagnate without any proper infrastructure
being built to enable Lamu East residents have a better quality of life.
“My tenure will mark a shift in how edu- cation, health and infrastructure concerns are addressed in Lamu East,” she noted adding that areas such as the Boni have been marginalized with no one giving concern to the plight of those living within the area’s five villages.
The outgoing women representative further stated that her election for the Lamu East MP seat is a statement by the electorate in the area that they are ready to be represented by good leadership regardless of gender.
Obo further said that she will address the plight of the girl and the boy child in Lamu East whom she added are cause for concern especially with the high rate of unemployment in the area.
She further said she will repay the confi- dence of the people of Lamu East by delivering development and improving livelihoods and also she would work closely with the national government in ensuring that it implements legislation aimed at addressing the plight of the marginalized within Kenya.
Captain Ruweida Obo a pilot by profession is the first woman to be elected MP for Lamu East bordering Somalia. She’s She’s outgoing woman representative.
Via Friday Bulletin.
