Kenyans shine in ‘100 Most Influential African Women’ publication
Kirinyaga County Governor Ann Waiguru (left) and her Kitui County counterpart Charity Ngilu are among the top 100 women recognised by Avance Media.
Kenyan women continue to shatter the glass ceiling placing the country on the regional and global map. A recently released Avance Media ‘100 Most Influential African Women’ -2021 list attests to this. At least seven made it to the different categories in the list drawn from 28 African countries.
The list is a summary of women who have climbed the corporate ladder, started their own businesses, or have been at the forefront of decision making both locally and internationally.
CSO and philanthropy
Wanjira Mathai is the vice-president and regional director for Africa at World Resources Institute.
Wanjira Mathai - The vice-president and regional director for Africa at World Resources Institute formerly served as co-chair of WRI’s Global Restoration Council and a senior advisor to the Global Restoration Initiative. She is the chairperson of the Wangari Maathai Foundation and the former chair of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya.
Renee Ngamau is the board chairperson at Amnesty International and a leadership and business coach.
Renee Ngamau - She is the board chairperson at Amnesty International and a leadership and business coach. Her focus is helping women to start, grow and pivot their businesses. She is also a human rights activist and a community leader. Renee is also a recipient of the United Success Global Award Titled Women Moving Mountains for advocacy work.
Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg is currently Director of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development.
Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg - She is currently Director of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development. She has been honoured as a White House Champion of Change by the Obama administration, named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine, recognised as a Ford Foundation Champion of Democracy, awarded the United Nations Intercultural Innovation Award, and named one of Kenya’s Top 40 Women under 40 and a 2018 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow.
Diplomacy
Dr Roselyn Akombe is the Governance and Peace-building Regional Coordinator at UNDP's Regional Service Centre for Africa in Ethiopia.
Dr Roselyn Akombe – The Governance and Peace building Regional Coordinator at UNDP's Regional Service Centre for Africa in Ethiopia, previously served as the chief of policy at the Policy and Mediation Division, Department of Political and Peace building Affairs at the United Nations in New York. She also served as a commissioner with the IEBC in 2017.
Governance
Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru.
Anne Waiguru - The Kirinyaga County Governor has held the position since August 2017. Prior to this, she served as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning in President Uhuru’s government.
Charity Ngilu- The second Governor for Kitui County served as Minister for Health from 2003 until 2007.
Charity Ngilu- The second Governor for Kitui County served as Minister for Health from 2003 until 2007 and as Minister of Water and Irrigation from April 2008 to 2013. She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Land, Housing and Urban Development from 2013 until 2015.
Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Martha Koome- Kenya’s first female Chief Justice was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeal in January 2012. Prior to that, she served as Puisne Judge for over eight years. In the same year, she was appointed as Court of Appeal Judge, was elected chairperson of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association. In 2016, she was among 13 female candidates shortlisted by the Judicial Service Commission for the Deputy Chief Justice position
