As the world observed International Widows Day, Nyali MP aspirant Elkana Jacob made a bold and far-reaching commitment to place widows at the center of his development agenda, promising greater support, inclusion, protection, and access to opportunities for one of society’s most vulnerable groups.
Elkana made the pledge during a gathering at Frere Town Social Hall, where widows and community stakeholders came together to mark the global observance.
The occasion served not only as a celebration of the resilience, courage, and strength of widows, but also as an important platform to address the challenges they continue to face, including economic hardship, social exclusion, discrimination, and limited access to essential services.
Addressing the attendees, Elkana shared his personal leadership journey and underscored the need to build a society founded on inclusion, unity, justice, and equal opportunity for all. He called for deliberate and sustained efforts to ensure widows are empowered through improved access to services, economic empowerment programs, social protection initiatives, and stronger representation in community development processes.
Elkana also urged the Government to fast-track the enactment of the proposed Widowed Persons Protection Bill, 2026, into law, saying it would provide widows with stronger legal, social, and economic safeguards while guaranteeing their dignity and rights.
He noted that the Bill seeks to protect widowed persons from discrimination, property grabbing, unlawful evictions, harmful cultural practices such as widow inheritance and widow cleansing, as well as violations of inheritance rights that continue to affect many families across the country.
According to Elkana, the proposed law would also establish a Widowed Persons Protection Board, strengthen access to legal aid and counseling services, and significantly enhance the welfare, dignity, and economic empowerment of widows nationwide.
He further observed that Kenya has a historic opportunity to join a growing number of countries that have enacted legal frameworks and social protection measures aimed at protecting widows from abuse, exclusion, exploitation, and economic vulnerability.
Elkana emphasized that the passage of the Bill would mark a major milestone in advancing gender equality, social justice, human dignity, and the protection of vulnerable families, while ensuring that widows can live with security, respect, and equal opportunities to participate fully in national development.
“The time has come for Kenya to move beyond policy discussions and enact a law that guarantees widows protection, dignity, inheritance rights, and economic empowerment. No widow should suffer dispossession, discrimination, or exclusion simply because she has lost a spouse,” Elkana said.
