Sports and Culture Committee Tasks the Ushanga Initiative With Establishing Autonomy
The National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee, chaired by Hon. Daniel Wanyama (Webuye West), met with Ms Ummi Mohammed, the Principal Secretary in the State Department of Culture and Heritage.
The purpose of the meeting was to seek clarification on the challenges faced by the Ushanga Initiative in achieving its goal of empowering women in pastoral communities. The Ushanga Kenya Initiative aims to transform traditional art into tradable commodities for the economic and social benefit of women and their communities. The Initiative which was in its sixth year of operation is yet to be officially established as a saga under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage.
During the discussion, the Principal Secretary highlighted several obstacles faced by the initiative, including budget constraints, delays in funding from the exchequer, resource limitations, poor infrastructure, and security concerns in the implementation areas.
However, Committee members questioned whether these challenges were sufficient grounds to prevent the initiative from establishing autonomy. The legislators challenged the Ushanga board to present a legislative proposal to the Committee that would provide a solid foundation for the initiative to operate effectively.
Hon. Mary Emaase Teso South urged the Ushanga Committee to actively work on ensuring that the initiative is legally anchored, as legislation can address the various challenges faced, such as budget constraints.
“Legislation will give out justification that will cater to all the challenges that you are facing such as budget constraints and other challenges.” Hon Emaase stated.
Through advocating for the independence of the Ushanga Kenya Initiative, the Committee aims to guarantee that women in marginalized communities can access the advantages of artistic craftsmanship, as well as opportunities for skill development and financial literacy.
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