SCALING THE HEIGHTS OF LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE By MUKAMI MUNGAI Strong willed !

o"#$ed %nd % &%nd on 'er$on (e$t de$"ri(e$ t&i$ wo)%n w&o &%$ )%n%ged to o*er"o)e %nd (re%+ (ot& "#lt#r%l %nd wo)en $tereoty'e$ in &er "o))#nity %nd $"%led to gre%ter &eig&t$ o! 'ower %nd in!l#en"e in &er n%ti*e "o))#nity o! Keiyo,Her loo+$ (etr%y &er %ge %$ $&e loo+$ )#"& yo#nger t&%n &er ye%r$, Meet Hon,Dr,S#$%n C&e(et t&e wo)%n )e)(er o! '%rli%)ent !or Elgeyo M%r%+wet Co#nty, Born -. ye%r$ %go in t&e little +nown *ill%ge o! Mwen in Keiyo So#t& $&e %ttended C&e'+eteret 'ri)%ry $"&ool %nd t&en K%'+end% Girl$/ Hig& $"&ool !or &er $e"ond%ry ed#"%tion %nd t&ere%!ter %ttended Ki'$igi$ Girl$/ Hig& S"&ool !or &er A le*el$, S&e t&en enrolled in t&e Uni*er$ity o! N%iro(i %nd gr%d#%ted wit& % B%"&elor o! Art$, Her deter)in%tion to e0#i' &er$el! wit& )ore ed#"%tion $%w &er %ttend t&e Uni*er$ity o! M%n"&e$ter to '#r$#e H#)%n Re$o#r"e De*elo')ent )%1oring in gender $t#die$ %nd t&ere%!ter ret#rned to Keny% !or &er P&D in En*iron)ent%l St#die$ %t Moi Uni*er$ity, A!ter &er $t#die$ $&e (eg%n &er wor+ e2'erien"e %$ %n o!!i"e %d)ini$tr%tor in t&e Kerio 3%lley De*elo')ent A#t&ority 4K3DA5 (e!ore 1oining Moi Uni*er$ity to (e in "&%rge o! re$e%r"& %nd e2ten$ion %nd do#(led #' t&e role te%"&ing %t t&e $"&ool o! %gri"#lt#re, It i$ o#t o! &er (elie! t&%t ed#"%tion i$ t&e +ey to "&%nging 'eo'le/$ li*e$ t&%t $&e &%$ $'ent )o$t o! &er ye%r$ "%)'%igning !or girl "&ild ed#"%tion %nd e)'ower)ent,6 i! yo# ed#"%te % wo)%n yo# i)'ro*e t&e !%)ily $o"iety %nd t&e n%tion %t l%rge 6 $&e $%y$, F%)o#$ %nd 'o'#l%r in &er "o))#nity !or going %g%in$t t&e gr%in %nd w%ging %nti FGM w%r$ %nd "&%)'ioning !or t&e rig&t$ o! wo)en w&o &%*e (een )%rgin%li7ed (e"%#$e o! "#lt#r%l t%(oo$ di"t%ted #'on t&e) (y t&e "o))#nity, Her deter)in%tion to "&%nge t&e $o"iety ende%red &er to &er "on$tit#ent$ w&o ele"ted &er %$ t&e !ir$t wo)%n )e)(er o! '%rli%)ent !or Elgeyo M%r%+wet, B#t t&i$ did not "o)e on % $il*er 'l%tter %$ )%ny wo#ld &%*e t&o#g&t, H%*ing w%ded &er$el! in t&e )#r+y w%ter$ o! 'oliti"$ !or t&e !ir$t ti)e %nd %$ % wo)%n $&e !%"ed % lot o! "&%llenge$,6I did not +now t&e te"&ni0#e$ o! "%)'%ign % lot o! re$o#r"e$ were needed to tr%n$*er$e t&e w&ole "o#nty "%n*%$$ing !or *ote$ %nd t&e ele"tor%te %$+ed !or &%nd o#t$ 6 $&e o'ine$, Howe*er (eing t&e !ig&ter t&%t $&e i$ $&e %''lied % 'o$iti*e %''ro%"& to try %nd $eren%de t&e ele"tor%te, One o! t&e) w%$ &er e!!ort$ in $etting #' &er T#)ndo Ne Leel org%ni7%tion ele*en ye%r$ %go, T&e org%ni7%tion "&%)'ion$ !or t&e rig&t$ o! girl$ %nd wo)en, Her $o"iety t&ri*ed on t&e o#td%ted ide% o! "ir"#)"i$ing yo#ng girl$ to 're'%re t&e) !or )%rri%ge, B#t $&e !elt t&i$ ide% w%$ &#rting )%ny yo#ng girl$,6 For)er regi)e$ &%*e not )%n%ged to !ig&t t&e "#t, E*en t&e legi$l%tion$ t&%t &%*e (een '%$$ed o#tl%wing t&e %"t &%$ not $t%rted to (ite %$ )%ny $till "ontin#e to 'er!or) it &iding in t&e "#lt#re %$'e"t, T#)ndo Ne Leel gi*e$ t&e girl$ %n %ltern%ti*e rite o! '%$$%ge 6 $&e $%y$ 89e &%*e % "#rri"#l#) w&i"& "ont%in$ eig&t $te'$, T&e !ir$t !o#r te%"&e$ wo)en %nd girl$ %(o#t t&eir "#lt#re &ow to t%+e "%re o! t&eir !%)ilie$ re$'e"t %nd genero$ity, T&e ne2t !o#r de%l$ wit& e)'ower)ent di$e%$e 're*ention %nd rel%tion$&i'$ (etween (oy$ %nd girl$ in %n %tte)'t to %*oid teen 'regn%n"ie$ 6 $&e %dd$,

S&e %l$o !or)ed % "enter !or $o"i%l tr%n$!or)%tion %nd de*elo')ent #nder t&e T#)ndo Ne Leel 'rogr%) to tr%in wo)en %nd t&e "enter i$ %l$o #$ed %$ % de)o !or dro#g&t re$i$t%nt "ro'$ %nd *ill%ger$ #$#%lly (orrow ide%$ on !%r)ing !ro) it, Lo"%l %nd intern%tion%l #ni*er$ity $t#dent$ %l$o #$e it !or re$e%r"& %"ti*itie$,6 we &%*e &o$ted $t#dent$ !ro) Indi%n% Uni*er$ity in t&e US t&ro#g& "oll%(or%tion wit& Moi Uni*er$ity 6 $&e $%y$, T&i$ $&e $%y$ &%$ gone % long w%y in !ig&ting 'o*erty %nd e)'owering wo)en w&o were !or)er initi%tor$, Dr,C&e(et $it$ in t&e '%rli%)ent%ry "o))ittee !or ed#"%tion %nd on !#rt&er 'ro(ing $&e tell$ )e t&%t &er "%)'%ign %gend% re*ol*ed %ro#nd ed#"%tion, S&e w%$ %d*o"%ting !or % good %nd $olid !o#nd%tion o! t&e ECD$ w&i"& &%$ (een lo$ing identity %$ t&e go*ern)ent t#rn$ % (lind eye on t&e), S&e %l$o *o#"&ed !or te"&ni"%l ed#"%tion w&ere t&o$e '#'il$ w&o did not 0#%li!y !or $e"ond%ry ed#"%tion wo#ld (e %($or(ed into yo#t& 'olyte"&ni0#e$ to le%rn 'r%"ti"%l $+ill$, S&e t%+e$ 'ride in +nowing t&%t t&e go*ern)ent &%$ $et %$ide )oney !or re!#r(i$&)ent %nd (#ilding o! 'olyte"&ni0#e$, S&e %l$o %''re"i%te$ t&e introd#"tion o! t&e Uwe7o !#nd to e)'ower t&e yo#t& %nd wo)en,9&ile not in '%rli%)ent: yo# will !ind &er gi*ing %d*i"e to wo)en %nd t&e yo#t& in &er "on$tit#en"y, S&e i$ 'l%nning to l%#n"& &er $tr%tegi" 'l%n !or t&e o!!i"e o! t&e wo)%n )e)(er o! '%rli%)ent !or Elgeyo M%r%+wet ;<=> ? ;<=@, Hon,C&e(et i$ )%rried to Mr, D%niel C&e(et %nd t&ey &%*e !o#r $on$ one w&o i$ %do'ted %nd !o#r gr%nd "&ildren,