Ruweida Obbo: Lamu’s fearless legislator fighting for equality, end of drug abuse
Apart from defending girls, Ruweida has also been at the forefront of denouncing vices, especially drug abuse, in Lamu County.
The popular saying in today's world, 'what a man can do, a woman can do better,’ can be demonstrated by Lamu East MP Ruweida Obbo.
Popularly known as 'Captain Ruweida', she is renowned for representing not only her Lamu East constituency but also the entire Lamu County and the Coast region at large.
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She is a courageous legislator who many in Lamu recognise as a ‘woman of strength’ – a fierce and fearless leader – due to her tenacity in discussing, criticising and articulating issues as they are without any fear of contradiction.
Ruweida hails from the Swahili Bajuni community which has traditionally been known for not prioritising the girl-child, especially in education.
But Ruweida’s zeal and determination have made her become a role model for girls in the area, giving them hope for the future.
She is the first woman from the Bajuni community in Lamu to study and graduate from an aviation course, having studied commercial flying. She is now a professional pilot; the reason locals refer to her as Captain Ruweida.
Equal opportunities
She has made it her duty to daily challenge her constituents, especially women and girls, to ensure they get equal opportunities in education and other basic and developmental issues.
Apart from defending girls, Ruweida has also been at the forefront of denouncing vices, especially drug abuse, in Lamu County.
Many young people in the area have been turned into zombies by drugs.
While other Lamu leaders are often afraid to touch on the drug issue due to its sensitivity, Ruweida, on her part, is not afraid to speak out, shout and denounce this untouchable issue even in the face of threats from those involved in the illegal drug trade.
At one time she claimed to have received constant threats from the people who secretly promote the distribution and sale of drugs. But she insists she will never relent in condemning such a vice as long as the community, especially the youth of Lamu, is saved.
“Our youth have been destroyed by drugs,” she said, adding that fighting drug cartels is an uphill task as those arrested are often released on bond and return to continue with the deadly vice.
Sexual exploitation
The MP is also known in Lamu and the Coast region for her strong stance in defending girls from abuse.
A few years back, Ruweida lashed out at security officers, especially those conducting the multi-agency security operations in Boni Forest meant to hunt Al-Shabaab terrorists, for allegedly engaging in sexual activities with young girls in the area.
When the reports of sexual abuse came to the fore, Ruweida chartered a plane to Kiunga on the Kenya-Somalia border, where she rescued girls who were allegedly being sexually exploited by security agents.
At one point, Ruweida promised to introduce a Bill in parliament requiring that rapists and defilers be castrated instead of being arrested and charged.
“I don't see any reason to arrest a child molester or defiler and then take them to court when they might have impregnated the young girls and ruined their lives or dreams. I am of the view that the rapists and defilers be castrated or have their genitals chopped. This will make those men, after getting out of prison, unable to engage in such evil acts,” said Ruweida.
The Lamu East MP has also been fighting hard for her Bajuni community to free itself from historical injustices, including the issue of land ownership for the indigenous people of Lamu.
The marginalisation, especially in the Lamu East constituency, in terms of development, is also an issue that the legislator has not been silent about.
The Lamu East MP has been fighting hard for her Bajuni community to free itself from historical injustices. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)
Indigenous Bajuni people
Every time she stands on the podium, you will hear her calling for the indigenous people of Lamu to be given priority in land matters and the issuance of title deeds because they also have rights like other Kenyans.
She cites the neglect and marginalisation of the Bajuni as something that is disheartening. She notes that it is the same marginalisation of some Lamu East areas that in turn contributes to insecurity.
“The citizens are tired. Since independence, there has been no major project that the people of Lamu East can be proud of except for the construction of the Mtangawanda-Kizingitini road which was launched in 2023 by President William Ruto. There is a need for more projects to be implemented in this place,” she said.
The MP has also been closely monitoring the security status, especially the ongoing multi-agency operation in Boni Forest, in a bid to ensure that her Lamu East people and the entire county in general enjoy lasting peace and continued stability like any other part of Kenya.
“We want to see the government intensify the fight against terrorists so that Lamu can be a better place to live in and implement development,” she said.
Ruweida has also pushed to have many of the Lamu East islands connected to electricity in recent years.
In July 2020, she led hundreds of citizens in a three-day protest seeking to have residents connected to the national grid. The protesters pitched camp at the Kenya Power offices in Faza. This eventually led to electricity being restored in the entire region.
Born in 1978, Ruweida has previously served as the Lamu County Woman Representative, having been elected for the first time during the 2017 General Election.
In the 2022 General Election, she was elected the first female MP since independence to serve the Lamu East constituency.
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