Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga has jumped to the defence of Nairobi MCA Habiba Hussein who lost her seat on Tuesday over absenteeism.
Omanga criticised Speaker Beatrice Elachi for declaring the MCA’s seat vacant, explaining that Habiba failed to attend plenary sittings for two years over health issues.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Omanga said 28-year-old Ms Habiba lost her newborn daughter in 2018 and she has since been in and out of hospital.
“As a woman, I do not understand how inhuman, selfish and insensitive some people can get, just to earn some cheap political mileage out of a tragedy.
“From the information and records in my possession, Hon. Habiba carried a challenging and complicated pregnancy to term, and delivered a baby girl Shadia, through a Caesarean Procedure, on November 21, 2018.
“Unfortunately, the baby was born with heart complications that are suspected to have arisen from the treatment the mother was undergoing during the pregnancy. Since Hon. Habiba could not undergo intense scanning that involved radiology during the pregnancy, she was put under medication for ulcers for most of the pregnancy duration, while that was not what she was suffering from. Despite the dedicated efforts by the doctors, Baby Shadia’s condition deteriorated due to a blocked A-V valve, and she died a few hours after birth, on the 23rd November 2018.”
Omanga added: “Nothing is as devastating to any mother as the loss of child, and the death of Baby Shadia only aggravated the illness of Hon. Habiba.
The Senator noted that since then Habiba has been in hospital undergoing treatment and surgeries.
“It, therefore, breaks my heart, as a mother and a woman, when people choose to politicize the pain and agony that Hon. Habiba has undergone in the last two years, simply because they have been implicated in stealing bursary funds meant for poor and orphaned children,” said Omanga.
According to Omanga, it was discriminatory and inhumane to make light of Habiba’s situation as well as to strip her of her seat.
“As the Nairobi City County Nominated Senator, I demand an unconditional apology from the Kitisuru Ward MCA, Hon. Alvin Palala, and his associates for degrading, disrespecting and demeaning women, especially at their most painful and vulnerable time.
“The least Hon. Habiba deserves is support and sympathy as she recovers from the painful loss of her child, while she undergoes her treatment, where she was admitted in hospital as recently as February 2020.
“I also call upon the DCI and EACC to move with speed and get to the bottom of the bursary scandal in Nairobi that has been unearthed through the trending voice clip,” she said.
“To attack a woman, for simply being woman, is not only unacceptable but almost Satanic,” stated Omanga.
