Chidzuga defies stereotypes to excel, but puts her family first

Dong Dong, a renowned Chinese athlete once said whether you win or lose, the most important thing in life is to enjoy what you have. That is the mantra Zainab Kalekye Chidzuga, former Kwale Woman Representative, lives.

She doesn’t regret losing the re-election bid in 2017— it was a learning process. “As a family in general, we learned some lessons such as you should not trust your supporters 100 per cent.

Also, never forget your family when in power, because those are the people who will be there for you in time of need,” says her daughter, Mwanaisha Chidzuga.

The K24 news anchor says her mother always put family first. The mother of eight always sacrificed her happiness for her family to remain strong. “At first, she had to quit her dream career as a teacher in the early 90s to take care of her family.

Also, she had to hold her political ambitions until when most of my siblings were through with their education. She also opted not to remarry after the death of our father in 2005 to give us her love and ensure that the family remained close-knit,” recalls Mwanaisha. 

Making a difference

So, when she announced her intention to join politics and vie for Member of Parliament position for Matuga Constituency, Kwale county in 2007, it was not an easy thing to her children.

“We thought if she joined national politics, we would lose her for her constituents and the country in general. However, she managed to convince us and we all supported her,” she says.

With their blessings, she also managed to overcome negative cultural beliefs in Matuga that women can lead too. Though she lost at her first attempt in politics, she competed with male politicians without feeling intimidated.

She wanted to change the mindset that women should only be seen and not be heard. In 2013 she vied for Kwale Woman Representative position and won.

Before joining politics, she had served as a director for Coast Water Services Board, Kwale Health Management Board, Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation (MYMO) as Coast Province treasurer for more than two decades. At one point she also served as the chairperson MYWO Kwale District.

Chidzuga, though now a director at the National Irrigation Board, still has her community at heart. “She continues to help wherever she can. She believes in leaving a mark and making a difference,” Mwanaisha says.

She started her community work way before she joined national politics. “Before her election, she had initiated the Kwale County Women in Development Organisation that empowers women financially for them to undertake various projects to uplift their livelihoods,” she reveals. 

She also formed the first women group in the county, something that was unheard of before. She also changed the community perception about the importance of girl-child education. She did this by setting an example and taking all her five girls to school. Her three sons were also not left behind.

No-nonsense

Though many people know Chidzuga as a politician, her daughter reveals she is a successful farmer who practises mixed farming back home.

She introduced modern farming in Kwale where farmers were still practising traditional farming methods. “She used to bring extension officers to train women in modern farming methods and this made her famous,” Mwanaisha says.

Asked to describe her mother, Mwanaisha says she is their best friend, loving and caring. She is also their mentor. However, she is a no-nonsense woman and a disciplinarian. Chidzuga believes that everything is possible and you only need to believe in yourself and put more effort.

However, they still have disagreements, especially politically. Mwanaisha has been a Jubilee die-hard and her mother used to be a Nasa die-hard before she joined Jubilee three years ago.

However, she says that the best thing is that her mother always respects other people’s opinion and after every disagreement, they would sit and have a meal together.

 The fifth born in a family of eight, Mwanaisha was born 36 years ago. The mother of four is married to politician Danson Mungatana. She is a journalist and also a businesswoman.

“Our father, Fundi Chidzuga Asman,  used to be a Provincial Administrator and he worked in different areas before settling in Kwale in 1995 a few years before his retirement. Because of this, I attended five primary schools before we settled in Kwale,” she says.