Former Nominated Senator Zipporah Kittony has asked women to rally behind Azimio la Umoja One-Kenya flagbearer Raila Odinga following his move to pick Martha Karua as his running mate.
Kittony, who led campaigns to have Karua picked as the running mate, said the Narc Kenya party leader would safeguard the gains achieved by Kenyan women over the years.
“The women of Kenya are proud to have Karua as the running mate of Raila Odinga. Karua has been at the centre of the struggle to advance women's rights in our country,” she said.
Speaking during the launch of her book ‘Sheer Grit’ on Thursday night, the former chairperson of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake asked women to overwhelmingly vote for the Raila-Karua ticket on August 9.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who was the chief guest at the event, said he was confident Karua will be Kenya’s next Deputy President.
“If you meet Karua, say hello well because she is the next Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.
Chairman of the Nairobi Securities Exchange Kiprono Kittony urged women to be courageous and loyal in their endeavours.
“Mum was fearlessly loyal. She was not neutral. She was either hot or cold, not or south,” he said.
Radio Africa Group chief executive officer Patrick Quarcoo termed Kittony as a smart, cautious and great human being.
“In our industry, there is no one day we do not wrong someone. Anytime she told me I was wrong, I knew indeed I was on the wrong,” he said.
In her memoir Sheer Grit, Zipporah Kittony chronicles the highs and lows of her life's journey from childhood to retirement from active politics.
Together with Nominated Senator Beth Mugo and Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation chairperson Rahab Muiu, Kittony campaigned for Karua to be named Raila’s running mate.
Kittony was the chairperson of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake for 11 years, then the largest and most influential women’s organization in the country.
Her awards include the Order of the Grand Warrior in 1998 and the American Biographical Institute Women of the Year Award in 1999.
She also worked on a programme to eradicate female genital mutilation and improve maternal services in various parts of the country.
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