Jumwa to manage public services, fulfil pledges to women

Former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa is expected to be the voice of youth, women and persons with disabilities in President William Ruto’s administration.

The Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary nominee has been a strong ally of the President, which landed her in trouble with ODM, the party that sponsored her to Parliament in 2017.

Jumwa was accused of openly supporting and promoting the interests of another political party, following her close and public association with Ruto.

She is now set to lead Ruto’s plan to implement the elusive two-thirds gender rule in government. He promised them half the Cabinet seats but only managed seven.

During campaigns, Ruto also pledged to make women equal partners in his government.

Jumwa is  expected to provide competent human resource, promote good governance and ensure efficiency and effectiveness in public sector services.

She has been fighting off allegations that her university degree is invalid as she climbed the political ladder, a matter that should come up during vetting.

The former Kilifi Woman Representative was born in 1975 at the Coast.She attended Takanga Primary School before moving to Murray Secondary School.

She then proceeded to Ganze Secondary, where she dropped out in Form 2 for lack of  fees. She gave birth to a baby before resuming school.

She is said to be a Commerce graduate from Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology. She also is said to hold a certificate in governance from the same institution. 

Jumwa established the Aisha Jumwa Foundation before joining active politics in 1997 when she won the Takaungu ward seat in Kilifi. In 2002, she was reelected.

Come 2007, Aisha vied for Kilifi South post and lost to her ODM rival Benedict Gunda.

She became the first Kilifi Woman Representative in 2013, which she won on an ODM ticket. She was elected Malindi Township MP in 2017.

(Edited by V. Graham)