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Calls on the present crop of elected women MPs to rekindle the flames of the trailblazers of yesteryears dominated Tuesday’s launch of a book authored by Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo.
The event held at Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi was a celebration of the resilient spirit of the Kenyan woman to beat the odds, ascend the political ladder, dominate and excel in the space through quality and meaningful representation.
The book, Rig or be Rigged?, is described by opposition leader Raila Odinga in the foreword, as a wake-up call on the country to find innovative ways of leveling the playing field for all Kenyans.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Kenya supported the publication and its launch.
Raila’s running mate in the 2022 presidential election, Martha Karua, headlined the event attended by a cross section of political leaders, friends, family and campaigners of the four term MP. Now the Minority Whip in the National Assembly, Odhiambo is the longest serving woman MP.
“Where is the fire?” posed former MP Rachel Shebesh to a constellation of Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association who thronged the launch.
She was referring to stoic performances staged on national debates by women leaders of the past, among them Karua, Charity Ngilu, the late Wangari Maathai, in scoring not just for women, but all Kenyans.
“Being good and conforming will not get you much,” Karua advised.
FNF Country Director Steffan Schott described the book as a guiding torch for women who aspire to lead.
Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale (Wildlife) and Opiyo Wandayi (Energy) celebrated Odhiambo’s legislative record, describing her as an ardent, thoughtful and unflinching debater.
“Millie will go down in history as the MP who brought the highest number of amendments to Bills,” Duale said.
Wandayi described her as “a legislator par excellence”, one who has enacted critical pieces of legislation, and one who is destined for big things.
Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda’s journey mirrors that of Odhiambo. Nominated once, she tossed herself into an elective constituency and is now serving her third term in parliament. She said she realised she didn’t have to copycat Odhiambo to succeed.
“I realized I cannot be her, but I can create my own space, in my own way. And I did,” she said.
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