Celebrating Kenya’s 2019 women achievers

As 2019 comes to an end, women in Kenya have made significant progress and triumphed in many spheres of life. Many have broken the proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ to transform the lives of others.  

Here is a list of women who have made an indelible mark in one way or another.

Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti alias 'Liz Mazingira': Shewas this year nominated as a finalist of the Young Champion of the Earth 2019, a UNEP sponsored programme.

The 23-year-old Kenyatta University graduate, who pursued a degree in Environmental Studies and Community Development, says her passion for environment conservation was inspired by the late Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai.

Brigid Kosgei: She once again put Kenya on the global mark when she broke the Chicago Marathon course record in October.

The 25-year-old clocked 2hr 14min 04 sec to overturn Britain’s Paula Radcliffe’s record of 2hr 15min 25sec record which had remained unchallenged for last 16 years.

After crossing the finish line, Kosgei, who described her victory as amazing, said she was happy to make her country proud.

Gathoni Wa Muchomba: The Kiambu County Woman Representative sponsored the Geriatric Bill 2019, which gives priority to the elderly in public hospitals.

The bill creates special wards and clinics in all public hospitals for the elderly and makes it illegal for the health institutions to charge the senior citizens for services offered.

It also roots for the country to start training special geriatric doctors and nurses to cater for the elderly. The bill has since been approved by the National Assembly’s Budget and Labour committees.

Prof Patricia Kameri-Mbote: She became the first woman in East Africa to graduate with a higher doctorate degree in Law from the University of Nairobi (UoN).

Ms Mbote, currently an Associate Professor at the UoN Faculty of Law, received the academic accolade that is higher than a PhD on December 20, 2019.

In July, she presented a public defence of her 3,000-page thesis. She studied at UoN, University of Warwick, and University of Zimbabwe and pursued doctoral studies at Stanford Law School, (Stanford University). She also an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

Lucy Nderitu: The head teacher of Kaloleni Primary School in Yatta constituency, Machakos County, saw her devotion to her work receive financial and material resources from local companies to uplift the education and welfare of her pupils.

The learners received an assortment of goods that included sanitary towels for girls. The school, thanks to Ms Nderitu’s efforts, also received unlimited supply of foodstuff to keep the children in school.

Nancy Amunga: She won the African Achievers Awards under the Social Impact Category for her five-year game changing work in mentoring young women in business through the Sprout Agenda initiative.

The award was presented to the 28-year-old at the United Kingdom House of Commons, House of Parliament on the July 11, 2019.

In 2020, the 2nd year Media and Communication student at Multi-Media University hopes to leave a mark among learners in rural parts of Western Kenya. She hopes to establish at least 10 communal resource centres. She plans to achieve this through partnership with schools and like-minded non-state actors.

Esther Maguta: She has over the years become a source of strength for parents with children living with disabilities.

Thirteen years ago, her daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. After years of financing her healthcare, this year, she singlehandedly took up the therapy care for daughter.

And her decision, she says, saw her last-born daughter make great improvements in her mobility. Her experience drew her to Sight of Relief, an association of parents with children with disability. She uses her experience to encourage the downtrodden mothers raising challenged children after being abandoned by their spouses.

Barasa Maryanne Njeri: She is the 2019 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) top girl. The Kenya High School student, who scored an A plain of 87.087 points, wowed the nation with not only her brilliant performance, but eloquence and admirable confidence that earned her several interviews on local TV stations. The 18-year-old wants to study Medicine at Harvard University.

Evelyne Atieno: The support staff at Nation Centre made headlines this year when her heroine act helped deliver a woman in a taxi outside her office.

With just a leso, she went to the rescue of the woman and was the first to respond to the new-mother’s call for help. Ms Atieno was feted for her bravery and act of kindness.

Pamela Makotsi Sittoni: She was in January 2019 appointed Executive Editor and Managing Editor of the Daily Nation, making her the first woman in the 60 years’ history of the publication to hold the position.

Previously, she held several leadership positions as Managing Editor of NMG’s regional newspaper, The East African. In 2017, Ms Sittoni was named by the World Association of Newspapers, WAN-IFRA the Laureate of the Women in News Editorial Leadership Award for Sub-Saharan Africa. In December 2019, she was appointed at the WAN-IFRA’s World Editors Forum Board.

Reporting by Dorcas Muga, Moraa Obiria, Kamau Maichuhie, Louise Donovan and Mercy Njoroge