Yvonne Wamalwa: My decade without the late Kijana Wamalwa

Since the death of politician Kijana Wamalwa in 2003, little has been heard of his youthful wife Yvonne Wamalwa.

 So what has she been up to?

“After the death of my husband, the former president, Mwai Kibaki appointed me as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Habitat offices in Nairobi,” Yvonne says.

“After three years there, I was appointed to Australia as the Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya to Australia. It was wonderful working in those positions. I have experienced a lot of growth. I am back now. I have been around for a month,” she says.

A lot has changed for Yvonne not just professionally but also personally.

RARE OPPORTUNITY

Her youngest child Michelle Chichi, who was very young when Wamalwa passed on, and the eldest Derrick Mboya, have both taken several leaps of growth — looking mature and strong-willed.

“My son is in Australia where he is doing a double degree in Software Engineering and Business Informatics at University of Canberra. He is also working with Apple in Canberra and is involved in new innovations in software development. He does part time deejaying with Dubstep where he composes electronic music and is very popular in the clubs in Canberra Australia,” she says.

 “Chichi was still very young when her father passed on. So, I talk to her about her father. I want her to know who he was and all he stood for. Interestingly, she is very much like her father; she is very aware of the struggles of those who are less fortunate. She always wants to help. Last year in October, she organised a fundraiser through a bake sale to raise money for ‘Because I am a girl Day’ and even now that we are back in Kenya, she wants to continue giving back.”

Although Yvonne admits that the journey has not been smooth being a single mother and playing both the role of mother and father, she is very proud of her children.

 “If you have lost your husband, do not let it define you. Instead, use it to drive you. Live your life and be the best possible. People will talk down at you and think they can get away with it but you have to be strong for your children because you are all they have. If someone looks down on you and treats you badly because you are a widow then make sure you succeed despite the fact.”

A firm believer in the power of education, Yvonne decided to go back to school.

She recently graduated with a degree in Terrorism, Counter Terrorism and Extremism at the Murdoch University between 2008 and 2011.

She has forged ahead with her ambitions, enrolling for a Masters in Policing, Terrorism, Counter terrorism and International Security at the Macquarie University in Australia.

Why study so much of terrorism? I prode.

“My original training was in Hotel Management and Tourism, but I wanted something more challenging and engaging. Now I am in diplomacy and an expert in terrorism, counterterrorism and international security.  I would have never imagined it,” says Yvonne.

Unlike her late husband, she has no plans of joining politics. She believes she can do more for Kenya as a professional than in any elective position. Yvonne is still rearing to go, and she divulges that she should be going back to school to do her PhD.

 “My doctoral degree will be in international security and counter terrorism. I feel this would be beneficial to my country. Kenya’s proximity to the Horn of Africa and the challenges we have with piracy and terrorism are hurting our international image and preventing enterprise, especially in tourism. We need more home-grown African solutions to the problem.”

And even though she is no longer the Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya to Australia, she is still very passionate about Kenya and continues to sell it to anyone who will listen.

 “Kenya is a wonderful place. I am expecting 15 or so groups from Australia who will be arriving in Kenya soon. They are professionals and retirees who are coming because I sold Kenya to them. My daughter, too, will be welcoming a friend who will be visiting and we are excited about that,” she offers.

ABOUT YVONNE

• She is the second born in a family of four: Three girls and one boy. She is close to her sisters Jacquie and Stephanie. She also spends time with her mother, who she says is the fourth girl.

• She grew up in Nairobi, in Parklands then moved to Kileleshwa.

• Yvone attended City Primary School and Cardinal Otunga Girls High School in Bungoma.

• She went to Kenya Polytechnic, and then moved to West London College where she studied Hotel Management and Tourism in 1994.