Mama Grace Onyango honored as Digital Health Foundation formed in her name
October 12, 2022
Mama Grace Onyango honored
as Digital Health Foundation formed in her name
The Kenya’s first Female Member of Parliament Mama Grace
Onyango has been honored as a foundation is formed in her honor in Kisumu.
The Grace Onyango Foundation for Digital Health in Africa which
will be launched next week on October 17, 2022 is aimed at promoting digital
health innovations in Africa by African Scientist, Doctors and Engineers.
The African Digital health Conference will also be held a
day after the launch of the Grace Onyango Foundation.
In a press statement to newsrooms, the Foundation’s Mission is
to have African Professionals lead the digital health innovations which should
be the next quantum leap in health care on the African Continent with an aim of
promoting female innovators.
The Foundation’s Board Chairman Prof Khama Rogo in a press
statement says the Foundation’s founding members include The Great Lakes
University of Kisumu{GLUK}, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology{JKUAT}, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology
all in Kenya.
Other Founding Members include the North-West University,
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Central University all in South
Africa.
He says the plan is to bring on board institutions from
other countries to create a truly collaborative, Pan Africa Platform and
Ecosystem.
Rogo says Mama Grace Onyango has been honored as a regional
icon in the Public Service and politics whom at heart remained a great teacher.
“Mama Grace Onyango who is 98 years old this year taught
many of our parents to read and write which enable them become internationally
renowned Doctors, Teachers and politicians. She had a career in politics which
can be described as a groundbreaking for women in Africa. She was the first
female Mayor in Kisumu, the First female Member of Parliament in Post-Independence
Kenya and the first Woman to act as a Speaker of the National Assembly,” Rogo
says.
The Board Members of the Grace Onyango Foundation for
Digital Health in Africa led by its chair Prof Khama Rogo who is a retired
World Bank Public Health Specialist and currently Advisor and Health Program
Manager in Kenya include Prof Hazel Mumbo, a Public Health Specialist and Vice
Chancellor of the Great Lake University in Kisumu, Prof Leenta Grobler, an
Associate Professor in Digitization and Digital Economies at the North-West University.
Other Members of the Foundation’s Board include Jane Aduda,
a data and actuarial Science Specialist with a focus on Public Health Data
Management from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology {JKUAT}
and Pauline Akwacha who is a renowned businesswoman and represent the family.
The now retired Politician Mama Grace Aketch Onyango served
as Member of Parliament for Kisumu Town when she was elected as the Kenya’s
first Female Member of Parliament in the post independent Kenya. She was
elected to the Second Parliament of 1969 to 1974.
She earlier served as the first woman Kisumu Mayor from 1967
to 1968.
Onyango also became the first woman to act as the Speaker of
the National Assembly during the Second Parliament.
In the year 2018, a team of elected and nominated Members of
Parliament visited Mama Grace Onyango at her Kisumu home and promised to
support a bill aimed at recognizing living heroes.
They
said that it is quite unfortunate that such people who have greatly contributed
towards the opening up of political space and leadership have not been
recognized by the state when still alive.
Led
by then Kisumu County Women Representative Rose Buyu{Now Kisumu West Member of
Parliament} and THEN nominated Senator
Rose Nyamunga, the MPs said it is high time the National Government fully
recognize such great people who have contributed immensely to political
development of this country.
Buyu suggested
that the National Government should set aside some funds for recognizing
various heroes and heroines wherever they are in this country, adding that
there are no needs to recognize a hero only at the time of his death.
Buyu
said a lot of money that is being lost through the rampant corruption should be
channeled towards such kitty in helping the heroes while still living on earth.
“Corruption
should be fought at all cost but as we do this let us also recognize our heroes
by even setting aside some funds which can help them while still living,” Buyu
said.
Buyu
added that through their Association in Parliament, they had started to
recognize all the heroes across the country and will ensure that they champion
for their interests and what they stand for.
“As
leaders of today, we have started to recognize all the heroes across the
country including women who have been heroes like Mama Grace Onyango among
others. This Mama managed to become the first Woman Mayor in Kisumu in 1967 and
again pulled a first one when she became the first woman MP in Kenya when she
was elected in 1969,” Buyu said.
She
further said the roles played by heroes like Grace Onyango in 60s and 70 while
championing for the interests of women to be in leadership positions at a time
when only few women were in the political arena cannot just be ignore and go to
waste.
Nairobi
Women Representative Esther Pasaris said Mama Grace Onyango was her role model
when she was vying for then the seat of Nairobi Mayor before devolution.
She
says as female MPs, they are really celebrating the achievement of the First
Kenyan woman Member of Parliament, adding that she holds a lot of achievements
which should be celebrated at all cost.
Siaya
Women Representative Dr. Christine Ombaka said women have come a long way to
fight for their space in the political arena.
“I am
happy today because I have come to celebrate a fellow woman who has been a
great inspiration and this is none other than Mama Grace Onyango who we have
come to pay a visit today,” Dr. Ombaka said.
She
said the heroes should be celebrated at all the times and not only when they
are dead, adding that Kenya should be able to even put statuses of heroes
including women in major cities and towns.
“I want to see a status of our hero like Mama
Grace Onyango and other heroes who have fought so hard for the various issues
including good governance in our country.
Other
leaders who also visited the Veteran Politician include Kasipul Kabondo MP Dr.
Eve Obara, Vihiga Women Rep, and Nominated MP Prof Jacqueline Oduol who also
echoed same sentiments of need to recognize all the heroes while still alive.
Mama
Grace said what matters is doing the great work for the people who have
bestowed the responsibility to you as their representative.
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment