The Military Wives Association of Kenya (MWAK) on 4th August 2021 met widows of fallen KDF heroes who have passed in the line of duty.
The forum where over 30 widows converged at the Lang’ata Barracks was aimed at sharing experiences and brainstorming on mitigation measures and how best to improve the support system and services from the KDF.
Led by their Chairperson, Mrs Tabitha Kibochi, MWAK assured the widows of a shoulder to lean on to cope with the unfortunate demises of their husbands. .
“One of our key components is advocacy and by understanding the challenges you’re going through, we shall lobby to get more assistance,” said the MWAK Chairperson.
She further assured them that the organization will open offices in various regions to offer mentorship that will empower the widows and give them skills to enable self-sustaining income generating activities.
On their part, the widows expressed gratitude towards the support given so far and sought to be considered for jobs and tenders alongside their children in addition to being assigned counsellors to support them in their journry.
Mrs Josephine Nthenge, a MWAK member and a widow to the late Major General Nthenge encouraged the widows to speak out when mourning saying it helps one not to sink into depression. “Grieving has no timelines. It’s okay to mourn but seek help. Death is inevitable and we shall all go one day. It was hard for me when the unfortunate news were broken to me but over time I have come to accept the reality and heal gradually,” said Mrs Nthenge.
Lieutenant Colonel Kahiri, the Head of Character and Development urged the women to get involved in widow groups where they can listen to other widows and understand the journey of widowhood.
Also in attendance were MWAK officials and representatives from Compensation and Welfare Department.
