Invest in the girl child a river that sustains generations

Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Prof. Jane Kere Imbunya during celebration fo her confermation with PhD on September 15, 2026. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Prof. Jane Kere Imbunya, has urged men to educate and support their wives and daughters.

The PS noted that women who are given opportunities to grow ultimately strengthen their families and society.

She said investing in the education of the girl child is an investment in a family's future liking it to a river from which generations can draw knowledge, opportunity and hope.

 “Do not feel threatened. That woman you have in the house is a gemstone. That woman you have in the house is a big investment,” Imbunya said.

She was speaking during celebrations following her conferment as Associate Professor of Education in Curriculum Studies, specialising in Curriculum and Instruction, by Kaimosi Friends University.

She noted that the occasion was a reflection on the power of education, family support perseverance and the ability to rise after loss.

Imbunya called on men to support the education and professional advancement of their wives, rather than viewing their success as a threat.

“Do not feel threatened. That woman you have in the house is a gemstone. That woman you have in the house is a big investment,” she said.

She recalled how her late husband, Dr Joseph Imbunya Muharia, encouraged and supported her academic and professional journey, including financing the publication of her books.

“When people call doctor, we all turn. Leave my title to me. I want you to be a professor,” she recalled her husband's death five years ago.

Her husband also refused to be discouraged when a friend questioned why he was investing so much in his wife's education.

“I will keep doing it. Even if she runs away, she’ll help me to bring up the children.”

According to Imbunya, the friend warned that she might complete her studies and leave him.

That support helped Imbunya publish four books before her husband's death five years ago.

She described his death as one of the lowest moments of her life, but his belief in her remained a source of strength.

For her, education is one of the tools through which society can challenge the barriers that have traditionally limited women. She called on men to embrace the growing number of women pursuing higher education and professional careers.

“My brothers, today more women are pursuing higher education because order of priorities have expanded, kindly support them,” she said.

She also described her journey from a village in western Kenya to academia as one she could hardly have imagined.

“I could hardly have imagined a professor emerging from my village, let alone imagined that one day that professor would be me,” she said.

While pursuing her master's degree at the University of Botswana, she lost her mother, whom she described as a close friend and a constant source of encouragement.

Years later, she would experience another devastating loss with the death of her husband. Yet, she continued pursuing the dream he had encouraged her to achieve.

“A woman is like a river — even when rocks block her path, she never stops flowing,” she said.

Imbunya challenged young women to believe in themselves and refuse to allow their circumstances to define their futures.

“Discover yourself. You are just bigger than what you have ever imagined,” she said.

She also called on public servants to embrace continuous education and professional development, arguing that building human capacity would ultimately improve services to Kenyans.

“The more capable we become, the better equipped we are to serve this wonderful nation called Kenya,” she said.

At the celebration, she dedicated the academic title to his memory, describing him as her friend, companion, confidant and greatest cheerleader.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who attended the celebration linked the achievement to the broader importance of investing in human capital.

“A nation that enriches human capital is a nation that grows, is a nation that will go far. When the president vested the human resource of our public service in the hands of CS Ruku and PS Imbunya, I think it was a good choice and a very strong message that the whole aspect of building our capacity must take a centre stage if we are to go forward as a nation,” he said.

 CS Geofrey Ruku said strengthening public-sector capacity should remain central to Kenya's development.

“What touched me most was her decision to bring along widows who could not afford to attend. She gave them the opportunity to share in her special moment, including cutting and sharing her celebration cake. To some, it was maybe just another celebration, but to that widow, it was a moment she will never forget,” she said.

PS Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala highlighted the wider challenge of gender inequality in education and leadership saying the issue of women's access to education remains significant in Kenya.

“Professor Jane, is a true inspiration to widows who may feel that losing their husbands is the end of their story. She reminds them that they can rise again, dream again and achieve their goals. We need more leaders like her, and I call upon widows in positions of influence to remember and uplift those still in need,” she said.