How Interior PS Raymond Omollo’s Past Struggles Led to Launch of Programme Targeting Widows

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo may don a tough demeanor whenever he is addressing the nation through the press but behind that is a man with a soft side.

The PS recently opened up revealing the soft spot he has for widows including a number of initiatives he embarked on to support them.

In an exclusive interview with Kenyans.co.ke, the PS detailed how he is keen on transforming the lives of widows, having been raised by one himself.

“Working with widows has been humbling in the sense that you find widows that are in the lower level of their economic status,” he said.

“Having been brought up by a widow myself, this is personal hence this personal initiative to work with these widows.”

According to the PS, he has worked on an empowerment programme targeting 120 women groups. Through his programme, widows in women’s groups are educated and empowered as they receive different forms of support for their businesses.

The programme further educates the widows on various government programs which the women are encouraged to enroll.

“We have been able to engage and educate them on things like the Taifa Care so that the limited resources they generate do not disappear when their families get sick,” Omollo divulged.

The PS is a strong advocate for giving back to the community because according to him, “social communities have made us who we are”.

In the same interview, PS Omollo revealed the hardships he endured as a child, after losing his dad at the tender age of eight. He noted that his life took a turn for the worse since then and he was forced to move back to the village with his mother.

Omollo further recalled having to survive on one meal a day at times –  something which has promoted him to consistently give back to pupils at his former primary school.

In Homa Bay County, the PS is also mobilising resources with his friends to support needy students who are joining a high school with over 1,000 students being equipped with German in anticipation of job opportunities in the future.