Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am indeed delighted to join you in raising funds for the completion of the Kambui Door of Hope Church. I wish, first of all, to note that I have been a member of the Kambui community for many years. Indeed, my presence here today calls to mind fond memories of the time I worked here as a teacher at what was then Kambui Teachers Training College, which is today Kambui Girls High school. The invitation to attend this event is, therefore, very much an invitation to homecoming and it is my special joy to support a community of which I was a member.

I note that the ground breaking for the construction of the Door of Hope Church was done in 1991. Sixteen years later the project has not been completed due to lack of funds. I wish to appeal to all us present to donate generously so that the Door of Hope Church can be finally completed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I note that many developments have taken place since the time I worked here. I take this opportunity to thank successive parish ministers and the congregation of Kambui Presbytery for the pastoral and social activities that the Church has continued to undertake. In particular, I wish to applaud the Kambui Church for the role it has continued to play in supporting the vulnerable members of our society. This is clearly demonstrated by the sponsorship of the Kambui School for the Deaf as well as the school for the physically challenged.

I am particularly encouraged to note that the Church has continued to support Kambui Girls High School. Through this support, the Church has made a positive impact on the lives of many young girls. Indeed, as a champion of the noble course of women empowerment, I would like, on this occasion, to appeal to Churches, corporate organizations and civil society to strengthen partnerships with the Government in promoting the agenda of empowering girls and women.

I wish to emphasize that the key to empowering girls, is ensuring that they have access to education, which will enable them to achieve their potential for themselves, their families and their communities. As you will all agree, our Government has shown a genuine commitment to empowering the girl child through education. The policy of free primary education has greatly improved access to school by the girl child to the extent that we have achieved gender parity in primary school enrolment. Similarly, when tuition fees are waived in secondary schools next year as the President promised, we expected girls enrolment in secondary schools to also improve.

As we look into the future, however, what must now be understood is that the question is no longer whether enrolment rates for girl children are the same as for boy children. The concerns now relate to whether the nature and content of the education, which is provided to girls, is free from gender bias and whether it provides equal access to the job market. Indeed, as many of you are aware, development has increasingly become science and technology driven and the labour market is now placing emphasis on scientific and technical occupations. It is, therefore, imperative that we ensure that the focus of girls is shifted from what has been regarded as 'traditional girl subjects'.

In this connection, therefore, I challenge the Ministry of Education to take deliberate measures to ensure girls pursue courses that are relevant to the modern economy. I also appeal to Churches to pay special attention to the scientific, technical and vocational training of girls. This can be achieved by placing emphasis on these subjects in Church sponsored schools and other Church education programmes. On their part, I urge girls in all schools in the country to enroll in science-based subjects.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The empowerment of women cannot be achieved until the issue of political empowerment is addressed. Today, the political arena is still considered the domain of men. As a result, there continues to be far too few women holding positions of authority in government, in the corporate world, in political organisations and indeed in the church. Consequently, women do not have meaningful opportunities to contribute to the decision-making process. It must be remembered that politics is a process of creative engagement through which solutions to the challenges of our everyday lives are sought. By expanding the role of women in the political arena, therefore, we will be able to mainstream gender perspectives on the challenges facing society.

I, therefore, call upon churches, corporate entities and political organizations to increase the participation of women in decision-making at all levels. Most importantly, I call upon women in the country to aggressively seek leadership positions. As we approach the general election, in particular, I urge women to exploit their numerical advantage to increase their representation in Parliament.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Empowering girls and women also involves the enactment of legislation, which guarantees equal access to opportunities and resources. I am glad to note that as an illustration of its commitment to gender equality, the Government introduced the affirmative action, which guarantees women 30 per cent of all public employment opportunities. Indeed, it is encouraging to note that of the 300 District Officers who were hired recently, 30 per cent of them were women. While this step is most welcome, there is need for further affirmative action to ensure women have equal access to opportunities and resources. In particular, there is an urgent need to repeal existing laws and outlaw customs and practices that discriminate against women in relation to land. Specific legislation should be enacted to enable girls to inherit land and to protect the rights of widows and divorcees through the enactment of law on co-ownership of matrimonial property.

In conclusion, I wish to underscore the need for all Kenyans to re-double their efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS, which has an increasingly feminine face. In this regard, I appeal to Churches in the country to play an even greater role by mobilizing their congregations to speak freely about HIV/AIDS, to fight social stigma, extend compassion and provide spiritual and practical support to those infected and affected.

With these remarks, I once again urge all of us present to donate generously towards the completion of the Kambui Door of Hope Church.

Thank You and God bless you all.