Mrs Amina Siraj: First woman chief, North Eastern

By Boniface Ongeri

Government appointments rarely bring excitement to villages in North Eastern.

But Mrs Amina Muhammed Siraj’s recent appointment as assistant chief for Meri Location in Wajir South District has roused both support and criticism.

A first in a region where women are plagued by oppressive cultural and religious hurdles, her appointment six months ago has the whole province talking.

Her appointment has also encouraged many women from the area to go for top leadership positions.

Though early marriages and poor enrolment of girls in schools are still a big problem, many say there is improvement in the North Eastern Province.

Tell us about yourself

I’m a mother of one. I went to Umusalama Girls’ Secondary School in Garissa and acquired a Diploma in Community Development from the University of Nairobi.

What do you intend to achieve?

I want to prove that women can also lead, given the chance. There’s a prevalent belief in our region that women should only be servile to men.

Did culture help or hinder you?

There was a lot of resistance from some elders in the name of culture and religion.

But the defense I put up was that Iran, an Islamic State, had appointed a female minister and that the Libyan president has female bodyguards.

Where do you go from here?

I was the only female applicant for the post of assistant chief advertised earlier in the year. I decided not to apply for the post of chief because it is only a fool who tests the depth of a river with both legs.

Let’s see where this takes me first. Inshallah (God willing) I hope to rise through the ranks to become a PC.

How did people respond to your appointment?

Whenever I accompany the DC to public gathering as part of induction to the work, crowds cheer and want to talk to me. It’s unusual for a woman, especially a Muslim woman, to don the administration uniform.

There is a sense of appreciation from the elderly and awe from the young.

At Habaswein Baraza Park recently, a crowd demanded that I address them. I told them that if we work together, we shall prosper.

My appeal was punctuated with a rousing ovation and chants of "We will co-operate, Madam Chief... count on us". At the end of the gathering everyone wanted to pat me on the shoulder or embrace me. That is very encouraging.

I consider these hordes that I attract an opportunity for the DC and I to sell Government policy.