Push for widows' rights gains momentum with planned census

Women’s rights groups and civil society organisations are preparing to launch a nationwide census of widows as part of a renewed push to revive legislation to ensure their protection, inclusion and support in national development.

The move comes nearly a decade after the Widows Bill of 2016 failed to pass in Parliament, which left millions of widows without a legal framework to safeguard their rights and welfare.

 Diana Kamande, Director of the Come Together Widows and Orphans Organization, confirmed that a new bill is currently being drafted.

 Once complete, it will be submitted to a lawyer at the National Assembly for legal review before advancing through legislative procedures.

 “The upcoming bill seeks to address the many injustices and challenges faced by widows across the country. For years, they have been excluded due to policy gaps and a lack of reliable data,” Kamande said.

 The draft bill is already receiving support from several rights-based organisations, including Equality Now, the Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development, and Tuwajali Wajane.

 Kamande said the absence of official statistics has hindered efforts by both the government and development partners to effectively plan or allocate resources for widows.

 She noted that the last estimated tally, recorded in 2019, placed the number of widows at one million, a figure now believed to be outdated.

 “Without data, there can be no planning, no budgeting and no meaningful protection. You can’t support a group you haven’t recognised,” she added.

 The planned census will be piloted in selected counties to establish the actual number of widows, assess their socio-economic conditions and identify their specific needs.

 Kamande said the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has already been engaged and will offer technical support during the data collection process.

 She clarified that the widow census will be a separate exercise from the national population census scheduled for 2029.

 Kamande said the data will be crucial for evidence-based advocacy and policy-making, noting that the number of widows has significantly increased, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which left many women widowed and financially strained.

 Despite their growing numbers, she added, widows continue to suffer in silence, facing stigma, disinheritance and exclusion from government programmes.

 Kamande called on the government and human rights stakeholders to support the initiative and ensure the proposed bill garners bipartisan backing in Parliament.

 “The time has come to give widows a voice in national discourse. They are mothers, caregivers and contributors to the economy. They deserve dignity and protection,” she said.

 If enacted, the bill is expected to introduce wide-ranging reforms, including financial assistance, legal protection against gender-based violence, access to inheritance and inclusion in both national and county development plans.

 Tuwajali Wajane founder and director Mwanasha Gaserego, encouraged widows to participate in the upcoming census, stressing that recognition begins with visibility.

 “Change will only come when widows are counted and acknowledged as a vital part of Kenya’s social and economic structure,” Gaserego said

 She added that once the actual number is known, it will be easier to develop targeted support programmes and long-term empowerment initiatives to help widows build socio-economic resilience.