Siaya widows to get cheap loans and skills training

This article was originally published in the Tribune print issue 1 in December 2025. It was republished online in September 2026.

By the Tribune

A bill that the county assembly of Siaya passed last month seeks to provide low-interest loans and skills training to widows across the county. The bill, which was sponsored by South East Alego MCA Scholastica Madowo, got unanimous support in the assembly. This bill is the first of its kind in Kenya, the Siaya assembly speaker George Okode announced.

“We have outlawed retrogressive behaviours and forceful actions that make our women, mothers, sisters and aunts who are widowed to be prejudiced. We have also provided for them a fund for their welfare,” said Okode.

The Siaya County Widows Protection Bill 2025 aims at protecting widows and helping them become economically self-reliant.

In addition to providing cheap loans to widows, the bill also establishes a special agency to look after the interest of widows in other ways. That agency is called the County Directorate of Widows Affairs, and it will advise the county government on policy matters relating to the welfare of widows. As part of this work, there will be ward committees to protect and promote the interest of widows.

The bill establishes the Widows Welfare Fund that will provide low-interest loans to self-help groups run by widows. The goal is to help widows start small businesses to support their families. The fund will also support the training of widows who want to learn vocational and technical skills that can earn them an income.

Siaya county has a high number of widows. According to data from Stats Kenya, 13.9% of women in the county are widows. That is more than double the national average of 6%, and it is the highest of any county. Among Siaya’s neighbouring counties, Vihiga has 11.3% of its women population as widows, Kisumu 10.1%, Busia 8.1% and Kakamega 7.8%.

Many widows in the county face a broad array of challenges, including poverty, land disputes, and harsh cultural practices. Supporters of the bill say it is a major step toward giving widows the dignity and support they need to rebuild their lives.

“The bill will protect them [windows] from participating in forced retrogressive cultural practices in the context of funeral rites and social ceremonies such as ritual cleansing, scarification, and forced remarriage,” said Madowo, the bill’s sponsor.