Lamu woman driving patriarchy out of county

For decades, some occupations have been reserved for a certain gender, especially because they require masculine strength, mostly associated with males.

We, however, live in an evolving world where women and men now enjoy the same opportunities. Unlike in the past, women even in highly patriarchal communities have ventured into and done better in previously male-dominated fields.

When the history books on Lamu County are written, Lule Adan Yusuf’s name will not miss out.

She is one of the only three female drivers in the entire county that is highly patriarchal.

Somali minority

Ms Lule, who hails from the Somali minority community in Mokowe, Lamu West, is the senior driver for the county agriculture, livestock, and cooperatives department.

The 46-year-old mother of four, believes no job is out of reach for any gender.

Hers is a male-dominated profession, but she challenges other women to venture out of their comfort zone and take up any job as long as their professional and academic qualifications allow.

Ms Lule was born and raised in Mokowe Village in October 1975.

She attended Bar’goni Primary School and sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 1992.

Since her parents could not afford to pay for her secondary school education, she applied and successfully joined the National Youth Service (NYS) in Gilgil in 1994, where she pursued a driving course and graduated in 1997.

Hawked food

She returned to Lamu the same year and shortly after, was employed as a driver for the Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Garissa, where she worked for several months.

Her contract would later end in 1999, forcing her to embark on casual businesses where she hawked food on the streets and ran a small kiosk until 2014, when the Lamu County Government employed her as a driver.

Her biggest challenge in her role, however, is the lack of acceptance from a section of the community, who feels her driving skills are not as good as a man’s.

She says culture and religion have played a major role in the poor perception the community has towards women who venture into professions that are traditionally considered a male reserve.

Ms Lule recalls initial scenarios where people would refuse to board the vehicle she was driving and out rightly tell her they did not think she would safely drive them to their destinations.

Raising family

“I am from the Somali tribe where the mentality is that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and at home, giving birth and raising a family; so breaking through such barriers was difficult but I had to keep my spirit focused because I wanted to be different,” says Ms Lule.

Another hurdle is the fact that she has to balance her time and attention between her family and her job.

She says sometimes she has assignments that force her to spend weeks away from her family, but is grateful to her supportive husband, Fadhil Komora, a businessman. He encourages her to focus on her job and be the best she can.

At one point, she was forced to employ a house help to take care of her children while she was away on assignment.

Along the way, she says, she made a decision to send her young children to boarding schools where she was sure of their safety and comfort even as she went about her work.

Comfortable life

“When they were really young, I had house helps to help me take care of them when I was away but as they grew and started school, we decided it was best to place them in boarding schools. As a mother, I wanted to take care of my children, but I also wanted to earn a living and give them a comfortable life,” says Ms Lule.

Her children who are now aged between 20 and 13, are all in boarding schools.

Ms Lule, however, says she is at a comfortable point in her profession. Her male colleagues have accepted her and she has also earned her place and respect in the job owing to her commitment, hard work and resilience.

Her message to young girls and women is that they should get out of their comfort zone, believe in their capability, and seek out jobs without fear or shame.

“I am good at what I do and I believe there are many women out there who want to be engineers, technicians, mechanics, plumbers, and so forth, but are afraid because of how society might judge them. I want to tell them to get out there and dare,” says Ms Lule.

Lamu County Gender Executive Paul Thairu describes Ms Lule as a hardworking, determined and focused person who works under minimal supervision.

Emulate Ms Lule

“I call on fellow women in Lamu to emulate Ms Lule by venturing in professions considered male,” says Mr Thairu.

Agriculture, Livestock, and Cooperatives Chief Officer, Gichohi Mathenge, describes her as a diligent, honest, and experienced driver that the department has relied on for long.

“She can drive for long distances, from Lamu to Kitui, Naivasha, Nairobi, and other places. She is a careful driver who has never been involved in any accident,” says Mr Mathenge.

He adds: “The vehicle she drives is an extended version of Land cruiser that cannot be driven by anyone unless you are an expert in that field of driving. She has proved beyond doubt that what a man can do, a woman can do even better.”

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