Eddah, the ever so bubbly Ward Administrator, Wusi Kishamba Ward shares with us a piece of her life as a first time team player in the County Government ranks.
If you were an animal, which animal would you be? Hahahahahaha…..I do not think I would become an animal. I think I am too good to become an animal. (laughs some more)
Eddah, please share with us your first employment experience. How was it like? After high school, I was recruited as a receptionist at a counselling centre in Mombasa. Actually, what happened is that one of my relatives organised for me to do that work to keep myself busy as I awaited to join college. As young as I was, I had an awesome experience interacting with individuals from all walks of life. That is the time when I learnt how to deal with people and developed my interpersonal skills.
Nice. I am sure your first work experience pales in comparison when you compare it with your current role as Ward Administrator. Please share with us you experience so far in working for the County Government.
You will be surprised that some of the skills I learnt during my time as a receptionist still do apply in my current role. I still meet people from all occupations, especially in my ward. The difference comes in when I get involved more in what really matters in their lives as opposed to simply responding to their queries (what a receptionist does). I have come to understand them at their level and it is a great feeling to have when you know you are impacting someone’s life in a tangible way.
It is also a challenging role since the mwananchi is not yet fully aware of the role of devolution in their lives. They are continuously mixing up development issues and political issues. However, with the ongoing civic education being done by ourselves and other key stakeholders, the wananchi are getting more informed.
It’s quite encouraging to hear that Devolution, through you is making a difference in people’s lives. Perhaps you can tell us your most memorable moment so far in your role.
Hahahahahaha…Funny thing is that my most memorable moment has nothing to do with service to mwananchi. I remember the very first time when we were starting out as Ward Administrators during training, we were asked to introduce ourselves. I was seated at the back so I expected to be the last one to introduce myself. A spanner was thrown in the works when the moderator, who was the CEC Administration and Devolution, shook things up a bit and asked me to stand up and introduce myself as the first person since I was seated at the back. I was obviously caught off guard but I fumbled my way through the introduction without losing face, though it was a hair-raising experience.
I am glad that you lived to tell the story about your ‘hair-raising’ experience. So, tell us, what do you love (and not love) about your role?
One thing I love about my job is the fact that it challenges me to be conversant with various aspects of life e.g. leadership, conflict resolution etc. This in turn has made me to become a better person and serve wananchi in a professional manner.
One thing I do not like is compiling reports. Looking for records and papers is quite cumbersome and I would prefer to do without it but it’s necessary for accountability. “Pasipo budi hubidi.”
Malemba’s Facebook Profile Picture 🙂
In life, who is your role model? I am my own role model.
Now, aside from work matters, tell us about your general interests.
(Laughs)…You really want to know. All right, first off, I love sleeping.
I also love reading novels and watching movies, which I do every other weekend when I have some free time. I have a very eccentric taste in food; my favorite meal is ice cream and ‘viazi Karai.’ My favorite sport is football: not because I play it to date but mainly because I remember with nostalgia that it made us get out of class way back in high school. I also enjoy water polo due to its easygoing nature of the sport.
You have not mentioned anything about travel.
Yes, because you never asked. Within the county, I love Rong’e juu (Mwakaleri area) since that is where I grew up as a young girl. As for my dream holiday destination, I would love to go to Venice in Italy. I simply love the place with its canals. I think it is beautiful and I love beautiful places and things.
An artist’s impression of Venice, Italia, Eddah’s dream destination
If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring? Phone, Matchbox and wet wipes
If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children? Take risks, make mistakes and learn from them.
Mwatate sub county 