Heroine or villain? Narok split on Soipan Tuya

Defence CS nominee Soipan Tuya [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Despite being the first Maasai woman to become a Cabinet Secretary when she was appointed in October 2022, newly nominated Defence Cabinet Secretary Roselinda Soipan Tuya is both loved and disliked among members of her community.

Tuya, a highly educated and US-trained lawyer, is among the Cabinet Secretaries who made a comeback after President Ruto dissolved his Cabinet following protests by the youth. She is the fourth daughter out of 15 children of former Narok South Member of Parliament Samson Ole Tuya.

However, Tuya has faced criticism from some members of the community following her breakup with her husband, Stephen Ole Kudate. People from Kudate's circle, including his age set, clan, and relatives, have criticized Tuya because of the separation, viewing her elevation in the Cabinet as a disgrace rather than an achievement.

On the other hand, many residents see Tuya's appointment as a testament to her qualifications and merit. Tuya holds a Master's degree in law from Washington University and has over 18 years of experience in the field.

Critics of Tuya are particularly unhappy about her decision to move to court to seek custody of her two children and demand Sh25,000 for their upkeep. “How can she, with her salary as CS, continue to haunt her husband who lost his seat by demanding such a colossal amount every month?” posed a resident who didn’t want to be named.

Despite this, many, including Senator Ledama Olekina, have praised Tuya for her appointment. They accuse her critics of being selfish and petty. “To those insulting our iron lady (Hon. Soipan Tuya), it’s time now to style up and do away with this negative mentality. It’s very unfortunate to say it’s shameful. This shows how mean we are, as evident from individuals from our community insulting her only on her downfalls, forgetting that no ‘man’ has ever been a hundred per cent pure,” Ledama said in a Facebook post.

Tuya’s estranged husband has accused her of being an absentee mother who has no time for their children. Kudate claimed that it was Tuya who chased him out of their matrimonial home and blocked him from accessing the children. He has denied abdicating his parental duties.

Tuya, who was first elected as Narok Woman Rep before her elevation to the Cabinet, also seeks an order restraining Kudate from visiting her homes in Narok, Kileleshwa, and Karen in Nairobi, her place of work, the children’s school, and from abusing or threatening to harm her or the children.

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Tuya stated that they started living together in December 2013 until October 2020, when there was a disconnection and Kudate returned to his first wife. “During the subsistence of the cohabitation, the mother has been the sole breadwinner, providing all the children’s basic needs and paying 100% of their school fees. The man has however refused to take responsibility despite being able,” said Ondabu, Tuya's lawyer.

He added that the estranged husband has also physically and emotionally neglected the children. “He committed untold physical, emotional, and psychological harm to me and the children. He manifested total inability to take care of us during our cohabitation and even assaulted our domestic servants,” said Tuya.