Mary Makokha who has vied for Women Rep seat in Busia County on MDG ticket during an interview with us, she came out clearly about her agenda when asked what she will do for the people of Busia.
“Since 2000, I have managed to serve my people locally through REEP an NGO that focuses on fighting against harmful practices and sexual violence affecting girls and women in Western region especially Busia County,” she said.
“I believe time has come for me to serve the people of Busia County not just on matters of gender equality but economic development as a whole. I’m inspired because my goal is to bring a new positive change to our people because we really need that positive change.”
Her manifesto are as outlined below;
- EDUCATION
- Ensure all children are given a chance to atleast finish form four even girls that get pregnant before completion are given a second chance
- Ensure that students get quality education by enrolling them to schools they have qualified for
- Fully support all vulnerable children who qualify to join an national school in the country
- AGRICULTURE
- Major focus on water harvesting/earth dams for most household
- Supply at least 10,000 fruit trees annually, mainly grafted avocado(hass/fuerte) and mango
- Value addition & modern post-harvest technology to farm produce
- Support youth and men groups to do bee keeping and honey processing
- Supply& plant 100,000 trees per annum
- Access to certified seeds a quality seedlings
- Work with other partners such as One Acre Fund to provide fertilizer and seeds at a cheaper rate
- INFRASTRUCTURE
- Lobby sinking of at least 5 more boreholes in the ward
- Lobby for upgrade of major link roads to marram status
- Lobby for electricity connectivity
- Initiate a plastic water tank project for homesteads
- YOUTH, WOMEN & PLWD
- Nature local talent in sports, music and arts
- Support youth/women groups focusing on agribusiness & processing
- Connect youth to jobs, school & work airlift opportunities.
- Table banking & access to capital to support self-employment ventures.
- SECURITY
- Ensure street lighting in our major markets, & within market sheds
- HEALTH
- Lobby for staffing, facilities & equipment upgrade of our existing centers
- Encourage sporting activities and wellness clubs
- Conduct an annual cancer screening
- BODA BODA INDUSTRY
- Build sheds across all major picking points
- Start a local for the boda bodas where the women reps office buys motorbikes and sales it to them at a normal cost with very little interest
- Support boda bodas to get licences and all the necessary requirements for riding
- SME’s & TRADING
- Identify at least 3 flagship business projects (for youth, women and men) and assist in accessing credit or any other form of financing for business formalization and scaling
- Organize fundraising for organized youth, women& men groups that engage in profitable economic activities
- Support women and youth groups to go for bench marking in other areas so as to learn better business ideas
“Busia county needs a leader of my caliber who understands the rights of individuals and how the government works. I want to commit myself to serving the people of Busia and I urge you all to vote for me,” she added while coming to the end of the interview.
