By Emmanuel Gwakoi
When Lucy Bwari Machuki completed her A-level in late 1980s and got married, she never imagined her star would shine.
Like other village girls growing in rural areas, she faced challenges, which she surmounted through hard work and determination.
Brought up at Masige East location in Bobasi Constituency in Kisii County, she attended Kiobegi Primary School from class one to seven; Gionseri Mixed Secondary School for O-level (Form Four) and Sironga Girls for Advanced level ( A-level).
The first born in a family of eight siblings- five boys and three girls, Lucy trekked daily to Gionseri Secondary School for preps and returned in the evenings to do household chores.
“My father, Samuel Getoi, was a teacher. He ensured that we worked on our farm and did other menial work. It really shaped our lives” Bwari told the Education News.
She used to cook for her siblings, take cows to the river and tended her kitchen garden, and juggling her education and household chores was challenging.
Bwari was employed at a local school as an untrained teacher till 1995 when she joined Asumbi Teachers Training College (TTC) where she trained as P1 teacher.
“ When I graduated in 2000, I taught in various primary schools before I was appointed Gucha Knut branch Woman Representative in 2006” adding, I was also appointed a delegate to the Gusii Mwalimu Savings and Credit Co-operative Society to represent Nyachenge/ Omosaria area.
She lost the seat to Esther Nyabayo in 2011, vied for the Branch Executive Secretary in 2016 and floored Samwel Nyairo, James Mogire, Isaiah Nyarango and Isaiah Nyariki. Nyairo was defending the seat.
“The competition was stiff. I never believed that I would defeat my competitors who had invested a lot more money in the campaign than me” Bwari explained and attributed her victory to her record as a Woman Representative.
Widowed 25 years ago, she never listened to the propaganda peddled by her rivals, stressing she focused on her campaigns and emerged victorious despite the criticisms.
Her victory was dogged with accusations that she had embezzled the union’s funds. She was suspended for two years, sued in the Labour Relations Court, won the case in 2018 and resumed her work.
“I never stole the money but was all over the media. I was reinstated in 2021, vied again and won. God favoured me because I worked for teachers well,” Bwari said.
To add feather to her cup, she was also appointed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) member in June 2021 and attributes this to the confidence teachers have in her.
A Mother of one son and three daughters, Bwari is the first woman to be elected Knut Executive Committee member in Kenya. She inspired Salome Olambo and Eunice Bosco who were elected Suba and Rongo Knut Executive Secretaries respectively.
Her lowest moment was when she went for two years without earning a salary which depressed her, adding she almost died due to depression but managed to overcome it.
“I suffered for two and half years until 2021 when Collins Oyuu was elected Knut Secretary General when we started earning as Knut Executive Secretaries” Bwari said.
A trained Counselor, she used to guide and counsel stressed residents and also embraced vegetable farming and small businesses which helped her to survive.
She fought for the rights of teachers, supported teachers affected by alcoholism to recover and ensured that they resumed their work, adding that she campaigned for female teachers to be promoted to be deputies and school heads.
“In 2016, the branch had four female school heads and now we have more than 20 and I am proud of that,” Bwari stated.
Inspired with an urge to fight for the teacher, she joined politics and contested for Kisii County Woman Representative through Democratic Party (DP) and lost to Wiper Democratic Party of Kenya’s Dorice Aburi.
She wanted to join Wilson Sossion, then a nominated Lawmaker as a Member of Parliament and be appointed to the Education Committee to fight for the plight of teachers, especially on remuneration and working environment.
“I wanted to be an MP to also make laws and formulate policies to protect orphans, street children, widows and fight against gender-based violence (GBV) which is rampant in our Gusii community” said Bwari
Men, noted the official are also victims of GBV, stressing that they mostly suffer silently and end up dying by suicide unlike women who share their problems, get support to overcome them.
As a politician, she has learnt that not all those who claim to be supporters are genuine, adding that in politics, candidates are bound to be cheated and realize it after they have invested a lot of money in the campaigns and only to be declared losers.
“I have not given up when the right time comes, I will also make up my mind. I am still ambitious and pray God to guide me” Bwari said at her home.
To boost her income, she has a borehole and has planted bananas, vegetables which she consumes and sells the surplus to neighbours. She has also few rental houses.
Bwari’s worst experience is when her chauffer rolled her car during campaigns and believes that her rivals were using her to derail her campaigns for their selfish interests.
“I worked with her for a month. Luckily we were not hurt. My prayers protected me,” Bwari told the Education News.
She noted that the driver had photos of her competitors in her room and they differed when she asked her about them, stressing, that they sorted the matter amicably and parted ways.
She appeals to the girls to have a vision to be focused and work hard, noting that they are capable like the boy child and can excel with determination.
Bwari also challenges the girl child to embrace self-discipline and shun immoral activities and drug abuse which can only derail her education and life.
The Knut Executive Secretary appeals to parents to give the boy and the girl child equal opportunities to access and complete their education, saying: “If you educate a girl, you educate the community, if you educate a boy, you educate an individual.”
She says the girl child has many needs unlike the boy child and appeals to parents and guardians to support them the girl child so that she can be settled and be focused on her education to excel.
When Bwari is free, she enjoys watching drama, taking part in politics and fighting for the rights of the girl child.
