 I love your vibe by the way. Thank you. She's all sunshine-y. Awesome, awesome. That's the spirit, that's the energy. And the people who preceded us on studio have left good vibes here, so we have to flow. So you have to go with the flow. And that's how you take the cup, not the cup, the seat. Absolutely. And of course, if you have any questions and you guys to this particular conversation right here, if you only have questions for Caroline McKenna, be sure to send us those questions as we continue with this morning conversation. Let's talk about politics of Kiambu County and of course Caroline, let me start with just getting a glimpse of who you are. For somebody who's meeting you for the first time today, tell us a bit more about what you do. My name, thank you very much Ram for having me in studio today. My name, like you said, is Caroline McKenna Kigunda. And I am the incoming, through your votes. Ume Sema. Nisha Sema, Kiambu Senator. And McKenna is a leader. And I'm saying a leader because we are in the political space and what we do is, in the political space and what is lacking today in the Kenya that we have is leadership in the political space. So McKenna is a leader. A leader who is actually ready to represent the people in the most precise and best way possible. But then why would you choose to go for this particular seat for Kiambu County of all positions to take, of all positions to vie for and of course of all the things to do, why politics, why would you choose to go for this? Why you? That's a very very good question. I will start by saying first of all why this office. I am vying for the office of the Senate because currently we are in a situation whereby if we do not rise up to correct the errors that we are having currently in the system there will not be any hope for the future. We are like for example the generation that I represent today we are stuck in between a generation and being stuck between a generation simply means that we have to be role models for our children and at the same time we have to be the security for our parents and that leaves us at a place whereby we have been told that we are the leaders of tomorrow and I am very grateful that our tomorrow is here today. So I want to take up the role of the Senate because the issues that are bringing problems and challenges in our society are rooted under the term and sugar coated under the brand corruption and Senate is an oversight authority that is supposed to put up corrective measures so as to remedy the corruption and I looked at the space where we are at currently you realise there is a location of funding from county government but there is some mystery that appears there is a mystical energy that happens from the point at which the funds have reached the county government and they somehow dissipate within the atmosphere and never reach the grass monainchi. You mentioned that the problems we are facing are being sugar coated by corruption meaning it is not corruption. It is actually corruption but now that's why we are saying sugar coating corruption has been branded by things like TIP I am very passionate about services that are being rendered to the public and that is one of my main manifestos and main agendas. For example in health when you go to health centres the services are very poor you realise that you could actually go and spend a very long time and there is no hand to serve you but if you know somebody in that health centre it becomes easier for you to get service that also goes to the job opportunities that are available currently the youth are being told knock and the door shall be opened but when the door is open you find that the house is full what happened to the people who came in through the back door through the window when the door is open it's all full why because of corruption the same thing is extended to all these other arenas where somebody says I'd like you to come in but I want you to pay this X amount as appreciation fee so if you want a visa or passport today there is the appreciation fee actually the main fee and if you don't have the appreciation fee you have to wait for a very long time so it means we have sugar coated corruption in the name of appreciation tips and this has made us be a very retrogressive people who speak today but still let me take your feet steps back because the work of the Senate here we look at predominantly oversight how are you going to bring a difference when we are looking at the senatorial position and still back a few steps before why you the first one there you said how will we do it the Senate is the legislative organ we need to put up policies and procedures through legislation that will ensure that there is a stipulated mechanism on how governmental services are provided at the county level that is one of the things the second thing is accountability and transparency when there is a budgetary location provision chances are normally high that it is in a theoretical nature but when it comes to the practical aspect it is a ghost project so you believe that we have so many gaps that are there in the senatorial position in the Senate seat exactly and that is where I come in you ask why me because I have the ability to understand what that job entails and to be able to clearly be in a position to seal in those loopholes and provide that gap that is missing I am actually the missing piece of the puzzle for my people in Kiambu in the Senate docket and so far we have so many aspirants who are vying for the same position for Kiambu senatorial seat and there are those who are under parties that are known and there are those who are known politically because they have been in politics for a long time how are you going to jump over all these loops because if you are vying for independent independent candidate or in a party how are you going to jump over all these loops considering we have all these who are considered to be more popular in Kiambu county wow that's a very beautiful question Ram I sit here today confidently that we are at a very beautiful place in the history of our politics today the electorates has reached a level whereby they are enlightened and this is the season that people are not electing they are not electing popularity they are not electing parties they are not electing waves this is the season that the Kenyan electorate has become enlightened and they are willing to elect leaders based on their ideologies based on their capabilities and capacity and the best part is I would love to tell you this that the longest journey in history is always started by a small step I could be among the not so famous today but the fact remains that the leadership ideology that I sell to the people of Kiambu my positioning and ability to be able to serve the people is what is going to make the people skip and get over all those parties all those leaders and be in a position to say that yes Senator Caroline McKenna is the one that is ideal for Kiambu County yes wow and I believe you can remember to shake shake the tree the tree has been shaken I don't want to use that don't worry I used it for you on your behalf you believe you can remember to do that not I believe I can be able I am doing it you are doing it and the tree is shaking and the people are saying this is the kind of leadership that we want this is the kind of confidence we want we want leaders who will not go to the senate and be back benchers and bench warmers we want people who will be able to come and represent the people because that is what the job is all about so I am telling them Kiambu people enough of having back benchers bench warmers and those who appear only when there is a motion that is favoring them and not favoring the people so Senator Caroline McKenna for Kiambu County is here capable, ready and on the ballot actually I am the first one so if I could sell that on the ballot my name appears to be the first one so it also gives me confidence it is alphabetic yes let me find out from you Caroline what is the thought in regard to the position of the youth especially looking at Kiambu County the position of the youth of Kiambu County are they coming out are we giving our youth the proper motivation to look into a bigger future to grow as individuals because we have issues concerning unemployment and job creation we have issues concerning lack of money among the youth and of course Kiambu County is one county that is very it is resourceful as a county what is your thought in regard to the position of the youth and how we are actually pushing them towards the wall against the wall with lack of money lack of jobs yet at the same time we are giving them so many promises in this country especially during this electionary period beautiful, beautiful rum where has the youth been put I remember my opening remarks were we are stuck between generations here we are supposed to be role models for our children and future children who will be coming for them that have their children still on their knees and we are still stuck at a point of us being examples and ready leaders ready to take up the mantle from our parents and be the security for our parents so when the youth have been discriminated on and you find that they are the ones who are facing all these injustices of lack of unemployment being used for political violence or whatever violence that is required when you need people to demonstrate that's when you call on the youth but when it's time to give the youth jobs nobody is considering the youth that is why I am here today to represent the youth as an entity and say that we have had enough of being used and now we are ready to stand up and take up the mantle of leadership by ensuring that we have one of us because even you have seen from the past governmental trends the oppositions for the youth and they will go for our great grandparents to feel them as youth representatives so that has left us at a hopeless place for the youth so this is the time that we need the youth not to lose heart and just realize that there is hope we have an opportunity and it is a prime opportunity and that opportunity is now so in my case when I am as IVI for the senatorial docket for Kiyambu I intend to legislate over matters that are going to favor the youth that is on employment right now we have a lot of youth that have to settle for jobs that do not even add up so we have actually lost the hope for education by telling people read, get educated so that you get employment so we need to correct that and ensure that the people that are qualified are the ones that get these opportunities we need to have a fair playing field whereby it is about ideologies, capacity and the leadership that one has so we need to transition from a society that considers the youth to be given positions as a process of knowingification who do you know that's how you get to places and you get to a point of qualification if you are competent and qualified you don't need to negotiate for any opportunity you don't need to tip we need to create a fair environment that is protected in that that is one of the things that I am vouching for I am also one of my main manifestos and agendas is that due to the unemployment factor that we are having today the youth are actually employing themselves but when they employ themselves and probably start small businesses you realize that the same government will implement over taxes over licensing and push them again to the same corner we are trying to free themselves from so I want to assure the youth especially the youth of Kiyambo when I am the senator for Kiyambo we will be able to bring all these issues at the policy table because that is the docket of the senatorial office that is supposed to effect some of these changes so employment hope education restoration of hope those are the things and aspects that we need to also concentrate on I would like to also add we have youth that are very innovative youth that have ideas that they want to implement just the other day there was a feature about kikuyu boys who are actually working with robotics and you find they actually school dropouts so what happens to such people as a senatorial head I intend to push for an agenda so that we can create an innovation incubation hub to nurture those talents to absorb the youth and tell them yes we do not need you to just think on how to feed yourself but we want to create innovation hubs where the youth can bring in pool of talents pool of ideas and we actually have the capabilities as the youth the only thing we lack are opportunities let me get your thought this particular issue here because still on the youth because most of them majority of the youth are the ones watching us today I am looking at kiambo county that had been one of the 23 counties mapped out by the national cohesion and integration commission that the NCIC in february list as possible hospital for violence before during and after agas elections but right now at least there is some good news that we are getting that kiambo is among the counties that have been removed from the NCIC list for violence hotspots so yes kiambo county has been removed and of course a big thanks to our officials in the security sector that have ensured that is happening now the politicians that we have got and our leaders also have a role to play in regards to insurance, security and peace especially before during and after elections what are your thoughts on that particular aspect of peace and cohesion in kiambo county during this particular election period wow Ram today all your questions are golden thank you when I started my campaigns actually one of my main when you check out my agendas and one of my main campaign elements was that I am a peace advocate exactly and I had a slogan that says and to demistify or to explain further to elaborate on the meaning deeper meaning of this statement is simply to say that we are I personally I am advocating for peaceful campaigning peaceful elections and peaceful after the elections because we need to realize that politics is not the end of the world and we have put so much energy on this political electioneering season that it is actually detrimental even to the economy the reason as to why we are having also the rate of inflation today is because there are so many businesses that are currently at a limbo because they do not want to bring in staff they do not want to invest everybody is just sitting and watching to see what will happen in our economic field after the election so I want to call upon the youth today and tell them do not allow anyone to use you for violence because you realize that it's very easy for the leaders to call on the youth to go and fight but the truth of the matter is that you realize that none of their children or their kin is part of it so if your kin is not there then why do I want anybody else child to be there so I will tell my people of Kiambu and the youth of Kiambu to see kubali kutumika kuenesa vita zaki siyasa and why siyasa zamani bila bila fujo na pesa is that we do not want violence and do not be paid because what happens is that the euphoria of elections you will get paid yes they hand out because the hand out thing is what is also crippling us right now they think wukendopatia youth miambili they will sing and jump about you and sometimes they will because of how they've been pushed to the corner so I want to enlighten them and tell them just realize I am in the political space today so politics I am a leader that's why I started by saying we are leaders so politics even as leaders leaders take advantage of these youths some leaders take advantage of these youths I'm looking for example the border-border sector politicians take advantage of the border-border sector which is a place where youths can actually get good jobs but now we have seen them being taken advantage of actually you've mixed words that are like us to isolate politicians and leaders we find that we have politicians in Kenya and to these politicians the only thing and the only way they see the voter is is just a vote and that's why they get the votes go to the presidency you go to state house, you go to parliament you go to county assemblies and they do their things and things disappear and get them as a politician and now there is this thing that is a leader a leader is different from a politician a leader will see the person beyond the votes will see themselves as being the ones that are actually supposed to lead from the forefront a leader will not demolish and destroy the people will build and bring up the people so what we need to demystify in today's political space is who a leader is versus who a politician is are you electing a leader or a politician? you got it but now still we should stop taking advantage of these youths especially in the border the ones that we see on TV and now guess what it's not even at stop taking advantage the youth should refuse to be used correct the youth should refuse to be used because we have been enlightened we are aware and we will have to forge a different channel going forward yes and I believe that we can and this time around because I am seeing youths coming up to buy for political seats or for leadership positions you saw right Ram sorry but they are coming out they are coming out now let me move to yet another thing because you've managed to get to this level where you are in yes but this is the aspect of gender women how far are you and how was your journey being so far because at some point yes we must say it as it is that there is some discrimination when it comes to gender especially women vying for political seats especially when a woman is the one that is saying that they are going to be the forefront among many men vying for political seats I am not saying it could be there for you but I am saying how has it been especially looking at this fight for gender balance, gender equality and gender equity vying for this senatorial position for Kiyambu County that is a beautiful question first of all the gender has been discriminated but I personally in Kiyambu County I am vying for the senator sorry to say this on air but sometimes I forget that I am a woman because I do not want to play the woman card because sometimes the woman card is where you want to get favor but I come I have actually gone on the ground and there is not a single time that anybody has said that you are a woman in fact in my social media pages I check it out I went to Thika and when I was interacting with the business people a man stood up and said wow senator wetu mama senator mama wa kwanza wa Kiyambu and I said ya kudo so they have actually embraced it and the beauty is the fact that with the two third gender rule that is in our current constitution it is still a tithing problem but we must appreciate the milestones that we have made the fact remains that even currently when there was the nomination of candidates by political parties IEBC issued a statement that all the political parties that are submitting nominated names they must be compliant to the two third gender rule and many political parties especially including the one that I represent today which is KNC actually complied to that gender rule a few did not comply and there was a court ruling that actually dismissed that which means if IEBC had sent it sent the word first and they wanted to ensure that they stick to the two third gender rule that is a milestone on the other hand we have seen right now despite and in spite of whatever coalition you support it is a very major milestone that we have Honorable Mata Karua as one of the of the running mates to one of the political candidates for presidency and currently the female gender I feel is at the best time in history where we have almost like for IE from Kiambu all the male governors they are running mates and their deputies are actually women so it has sent a very good precedence and we have made milestones we are not yet there but I acknowledge where we have reached and I personally don't feel disadvantaged at all as a woman infact I find it as an added advantage when I have gone to the grassroots I have found people embracing the women leadership because you will realize that most men will always say come and see your mama come and see your mama so come and see your mama I want them to say come and see your mama come and see your mama to be very specific I am at a good space I don't feel discriminated or rather the other show was talking about the mindset my mindset is not even I come and offer my services and ask for the electorate of Kiambu to vote me and in as their senator not because I am a woman but because I am a leader who is capable of pushing and propelling the agendas of the people of Kiambu with excellence dedication and commitment so that's the card that I am using and that's why the position that I am vying for is not isolated or set apart just for the women in Kenya I want to take a short break and then we will be back and of course after this break we just want to touch on a few things concerning your manifesto the things that you believe in let me just read what you said you said do not follow where the path may lead go instead where there is no path and leave a trail precisely precisely let's take a short break and we will be back ladies and gentlemen in Makena the senatorial aspirant for Kiambu County after this break and of course keep talking to us keep engaging with us we shall be back in a bit