Eve Women of 2011

Last year saw the rise and rise of several women, both nationally and internationally. It is for this reason that we at Eve Woman came up with our list of the phenomenal women of 2011.

POLITICS

MARTHA KARUA — 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT

After much speculation, Martha Karua finally declared her bid to run for president at this year’s

Martha Karua. [Photo:Standard]

general elections. She has travelled across most counties to campaign and garner support for her campaign. Even after resigning from Government in 2010, Martha has managed to stay on top of her game, with her most significant contribution seen in the referendum that gave Kenya a new constitution.

PROF MARGARET KAMAR — Higher Education Minister

The year was a good one for this professor and MP for Eldoret East, who was elevated to the position of Cabinet minister for Higher Education after Eldoret North MP William Ruto was suspended from Cabinet.

RACHEL SHEBESH — ODM nominated MP

Rachel managed to remain relevant and vocal, particularly on the country’s gender representation in key appointments. In Parliament, she has stood out as a strong defender of women and their rights.

WAVINYA NDETI — Assistant minister for youth

Wavinya made history as the first woman to be elected to Parliament in Machakos District since independence. Towards the end of last year, she was thrust into the limelight for challenging the controversial demolitions in Syokimau. Wavinya has also announced her bid to vie for Governor of Machakos County at this year’s general elections.

ORIE ROGO MANDULI, DR REGINALDA WANYONYI, SOPHIE KIBAI – FUTURE GOVERNORS and SENATORS

These women have boldly declared their intention to vie to top positions in their respective counties. Orie Rogo Manduli plans to vie for governor of Trans Nzoia County; Dr Wanyonyi is making waves in Bungoma County where she has announced her interest in the senator seat; while Sophie Kibai, who works at the Kenya Electricity Board, has announced her bid to vie for governor of Taita Taveta County.

SERVICE

NANCY BARAZA — Deputy Chief Justice

Last year saw Nancy Baraza making history by becoming Kenya’s first woman deputy chief justice under the new Constitution.

NJOKI NDUNGU — Supreme Court Judge

Last year was a good one for Njoki Ndungu, who was also made history — again — when she was appointed to the Supreme Court. Hon Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu is celebrated for her exemplary efforts in midwifing the new Constitution and for her incredibly successful campaign that resulted in the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act 2006.

GLADYS BOSS SHOLLEI — Chief Registrar of the Judiciary

Last year saw yet another woman clinch a top position in the new judiciary under the new Constitution. Gladys clocked another milestone when, as the chief executive officer and editor of the National Council for Law Reporting, she led the council to pioneer the online publication of the Laws of Kenya, which can be freely accessed on the Internet, making Kenya the first African country to provide such a service.

TECLA NAMACHANJA — TJRC ACTING Chairperson

After taking over TJRC’s leadership from Bethuel Kiplagat, Tecla’s has steered the commission’s public hearings that have taken place around the country, recording more than 30,000 statements and making Kenya the only country in the world with the highest number of statements recorded by a truth commission.

AMB AMINA MOHAMMED — UNEP Deputy Executive Director

Last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed Amina Mohammed as an assistant secretary-general and deputy executive director of the UN Environment Program (Unep).

Amina is described as a distinguished diplomat, lawyer, manager and policy maker working across the sustainable development and environment policy agendas.

CONTROVERSY

CHARITY NGILU — minister for WATER

Last year was a particularly tough one for Water minister Charity Ngilu, also the Kitui Central MP. She was on the spot over corruption allegations in her water ministry following a bitter row with her assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri, who accused her of several irregularities in the ministry. Ngilu also publicly snubbed vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, openly displaying their enmity. We sure hope this year will be a better one for her.

CECILY MBARIRE — Assistant minister FOR Transport

In what seems like a sensational thriller, former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) boss PLO Lumumba accused Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire and her husband Dennis Apaa of trying to influence him against investigating graft allegations at the Water ministry. Eventually, the scandal died down but not before PLO Lumumba was removed as the KACC boss.

ELIZABETH ONGORO — assistant minister for Nairobi Metropolitan

Last year 2011 was a bitter-sweet one for Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro. Her household was rocked by several scandals — among them allegations of assaulting her husband Ferdinand Masha, who was also charged by a Nairobi court for stealing Sh1.9 million belonging to the Kasarani Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Fortunately, the year ended on a bountiful note for the couple with the birth of a bouncing baby boy.

Rachel Shebesh. [Photo:Standard]

NAZLIN UMAR — FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Nazlin made headlines this year when she sued business tycoon Madatali Chatur for Sh280 million, claiming he was her husband following their wedding in September 2010 under Islamic Sharia law. In her petition, Nazlin claims the businessman pledged Sh250 million and a Mercedes Benz as dowry. The businessman has dismissed allegations saying he never married her. Their case is still in court.

SPORTS

VIVIAN CHERUIYOT — athlete

She is undoubtedly this season’s best female athlete after putting up a stellar gold-studded season. The 28-year-old is the only double gold medalist from the World Championships in Daegu, Korea last August. She is also declared the 2011 Kenya Sports Personality of the Year at the Safaricom-sponsored Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gala. Cheruiyot won the women’s World Cross Country Championships 8,000m race in Punta Umbria, Spain before going for a double at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, winning both the 5,000m and 10,000m titles. Cheruiyot also retained her 5,000m and 3,000m Diamond League crowns unbeaten.

EDNA KIPLAGAT — ATHLETE

Edna dramatically became the first gold winning champion in the 13th World Athletics Championships Daegu, South Korea. She dramatically won the race — after falling twice. Last year, she was named runners-up Sports Personality of the Year.

ROSE NALIAKA — Veteran golfer

She is one of Kenya’s only professional female golfers who has won countless awards, including the All-Africa Challenge Trophy. The veteran golfer was bestowed the 2011 Soya Community Hero award for her effort in promoting the sport among the less privileged. Every weekend for the past five years, Naliaka has been teaching golf to young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to debunk the myth that the sport is a reserve for the wealthy high and mighty in society.

POST HUMOUS

WANGARI MAATHAI — Nobel Peace Laureate

She is a woman of many firsts and went against all odds to achieve great heights. When news broke late last year that she had succumbed to ovarian cancer, many hearts were broken — both nationally and internationally, and her achievements were sang over and over again, worldwide.

DEKHA IBRAHIM — Peace heroine

Though the spotlight was rarely on her, Dekha’s star shone bright because of her unending efforts to promote peace and unity among her communities. Dekha worked as a consultant trainer on peace building and pastoralists’ development with many local and international agencies in various countries, including Cambodia, Jordan, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa, Netherlands, Israel, Palestine, Zimbabwe, the UK, Uganda and Kenya. Her peace efforts did not go undetected, for in 2007 she received the Right Livelihood award, often referred to as the "Alternative Nobel prize". The prize money she received was used to start a peace university in Wajir.

Her life was cut short on 14 July last year by a road accident.

EDUCATION

PROF OLIVE MUGENDA -— Vice Chancellor, Kenyatta University

She is the first woman vice chancellor of a public university and has managed to literally turn around Kenyatta University through an ambitious expansion programme countrywide, despite pressure and opposition from some of her colleagues.

JECINTA AKATSA — Principal, Precious Blood Riruta

Jecinta is respected by her peers for steering Precious Blood Riruta, arguably Kenya’s best girls’ secondary school, to the top and for maintaining a train of stellar performances in the KCSE national exams.

EUNICE WAMBUA — deputy principal Precious Blood Kilungu

This English teacher was declared the 2011 Teacher of the Year by the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha). Under her watch, the English language mean score at the school has risen gradually from 9.23 in the year 2005 to 10.72 in 2010.

PERFORMING ARTS

SUZZANA OWIYO — Musician

She has been dubbed ‘The Tracy Chapman’ of Africa. Last year saw her launch her second album dubbed Roots, alongside Zimbabwean sensation Oliver Mtukudzi.

EMMY KOSGEI — Musician

She is easily Kenya’s most successful female gospel artiste. Last year was also a good one for Emmy who recently launched her new Ololo album.

HAWA ESSUMAN — Film Director

This Ghananian-Kenyan film director bagged the Best Edited Film award for his movie Soul Boy, in the star-studded Africa Movie Academy Awards (Amaa) held in Yenagoa City, Nigeria.

LIZ NJAGAH, NICE GITHINJI, DOROTHY GHETUBBA — Film

These remarkable women made great strides in the film industry last year.

Liz Njagah could easily be crowned the ‘comeback of the year’. She was a Kalasha Awards nominee for best lead actress, and has landed several roles in Nollywood as well as Hollywood, featuring in the Hollywood based movie Pearls of Africa.

Nice Githinji is a sensational actress who was crowned the Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama Series at last year’s Kalasha Awards for her role as Lisa in Changing Times aired on KTN.

Dorothy’s moment last year was writing the captivating Lies that Bind soap opera that also runs on KTN.

GLOBAL

EILEEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF — Liberian President

Last year was yet another landmark year for Africa’s first woman president for two main reasons.

First, she was successfully re-elected into presidency following a hotly contested presidential election, making her the first and only elected woman head of state in the continent.

Second, Eileen was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakel Karman of Yemen. The women were recognised "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work".

PATRICIA AMIRA — TALK SHOW HOST

Making it to any of the Forbes’ list is no mean feat and it is no wonder we celebrate Patricia Amira, who made it to number 40 on the Forbes list of Africa’s Most Powerful Celebrities.

She hosts Africa’s most popular talk show, the Patricia Show, which airs on Met to an audience of 48 million. She also recently launched a syndicated radio show for Africa.

FATOU BENSOUDA — ICC Prosecutor

Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda is the new International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor. She takes on the key role from mid this year (2012) when Moreno-Ocampo officially retires from office.

The lawyer has more than 20 years prosecution experience and has set the record by being the first African and woman to serve as the ICC prosecutor.