Former Adopt a Light CEO Esther Passaris/FILE
Passaris says that she is in the race with a promise to fight for the rights of the Nairobi woman whom she says has been ‘mistreated right from her house.’
Passaris who claims to have taken a break in politics after her defeat in the Embakasi by-election says that she decided to come back after watching the chaotic nomination process.
“I had decided to join civil society and fight for the rights of women but after listening to the stories of women I had to come back,” she says.
She gave the example of the woman who was run over by a bus last week after she was thrown off a matatu in Kawangware because of Sh10 bus fare she could not afford.
“She did not deserve that. No one wants to talk about her. Where is the law to protect women? ” she posed holding back tears.
“I have paid bills for women at Kenyatta National Hospital who were detained there because they could not raise the money and their plight is what I want to fight for.”
Passaris said that she will also seek for tougher enforcement of the Sexual Offences Act to further protect women she said formed the majority of the country’s population.
“Women do not have recourse, they are suffering. People don’t seem to care; if we cannot take care of women then the nation cannot go forward. I am coming out for the women,” she insisted.
She will compete against Rachel Shebesh of The National Alliance (TNA), Sylvia Ming’ala of the Orange Democratic Movement ODM and Peris Wanja of the Grand National Union among others.
Shebesh who was cleared on Thursday also promised to be at the forefront in defending women’s rights through empowerment.
Despite the fact that she had more than all the required documents, her birth certificate and the national Identity Card had different birth dates.
The certificate showed she was born on October 20, 1964 but the ID indicated she was born on the 10th of the same month and year.
Passaris has pledged to rid the streets of Nairobi off street children and their mothers and rehabilitate those who are addicted to drugs.
“Leaders are promising jobs when we have basic problems to handle, who will employ youths who are addicted to drugs? Street children do not need sympathy they need to be taken off and put into structures,” she added.
