Early Christmas as Huduma services are taken to Murang'a village

Christmas came early for residents of Karung’e in Murang’a county, after Huduma services were taken to their village.

The village, deep in Mathioya subcounty, is one of the areas previously affected by jiggers and had high levels of poverty.

Unable to raise bus fare to Murang’a town, many people from the village are unable to access Huduma services.

Rebeccah Wambui, a 25 year old mother of two, said the exercise had made it possible for her to obtain her children’s birth certificates.

She said she was unable to raise enough money to travel to Murang’a town to make follow ups on the certificates at the office of registrar of persons.

Wambui said she needed the documents because her three year old child is expected to join nursery school next year.

“This exercise today is heaven sent, it has saved me many expenses. This is the best Christmas gift anyone could give me," she said.

Ahadi Kenya Trust CEO Stanley Kamau said he organised the exercise in partnership with Murang'a town Huduma Centre after receiving several calls from people who needed support to access the services.

“So many people called asking for bus fare to Murang’a town to look for birth and death certificates and other government services. Since I could not give everybody Sh400 for the fare, I reached out to Huduma centre," he said.

Kamau, who paid for the costs incurred to process birth certificates and identity cards, pledged to have the documents delivered to the residents.

He said the exercise had also given reprieve to many families that had succession issues.

Reports showed that many crimes in Murang'a county are related to succession matters.

“With the current economy poor, paying for bus fare to Murang’a town would have been impossible for most of these people,” Kamau said.

He accused elected leaders of failing to solve issues that affect their voters.

“These people just come to people to ask for votes. They don’t understand the struggles people go through when applying for identity cards," Kamau said.

He said the exercise will be conducted in other parts of the county to empower the people at the grassroots and spur the economy.

Kamau urged the government to decentralise Huduma centres from the county level to the subcounties to make them more accessible.